


Ablaze

by OnePiecerin



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/F, Fanart, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2019-09-01 13:02:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 18
Words: 76,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16765678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnePiecerin/pseuds/OnePiecerin
Summary: The world has yet to find its place in a new era of peace. But one thing is for sure: They want to see the blood of Ozai and Azula.With unexpected help, Azula's last resort is the last place on earth she'd ever deliberately go to.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: 
> 
> I own nothing but the story.  
> All characters etc. belong to the wonderful creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino.

It was one of these days again.  
  


The sun was shining high on the horizon, the wind breezed and surrounded the body with a cool layer. On hot days like these, it was supposed to be a pleasant feeling. But one small breeze was not able to cool one’s body completely, while the hot blaze of the sun was very much capable to make you sweat and feel warm.  
  


But she didn’t feel warm, it’s one of these days again.  
  


No matter the heat, nothing was able to brush away this coldness around her heart. It was so unlike her. For other people she was the personification of optimism and bubbliness, happiness. But for her friends it was simply _Ty Lee._

  
She awoke with this feeling in the pit of her stomach more often than usual these days. The first thought that crossed her mind was about one of the most powerful firebenders of their time. The deadly Princess of the Fire Nation. She occupied her mind more than she used to and Ty Lee felt that there was something to come. That something had happened, since she couldn’t shake this damn coldness, couldn’t shrug it off like dust. She actually wanted to hide. For once, she didn’t want to be around people and this was so unlike her that it worried her, even though she knew it was just a temporary mood of her heart. At least she hoped for it.

  
She went through her day like she used to for the last 7 months. She would wake up, fix herself breakfast, apply the make-up typical for Kyoshi Warriors and change into her uniform.  
  


Even though the colors of the Fire Nation would always be dear to her, she had accepted the muddy green colors a long time ago. For a moment, she sighed in relief. If Azula would have heard that, she’d be burned down to green dust. She wouldn’t understand why Ty Lee chose this path. She wouldn’t even try to understand, all she would see was a traitor and her rage would cloud her vision like that very one time, where–

  
“Ty Lee? Did you listen?” Suki asked, looking concerned.  
  


Ty Lee stared off into the distance, lost in her thoughts but glad that Suki snapped her out of it, stopped the train of thought which was about to start.“Huh? Uh... no, sorry” Ty Lee answered with an apologetic smile, hoping that Suki wouldn’t be mad at her.

  
“I need you to concentrate, Ty Lee” Suki scolded her and continued, “We patrol today at the docks, there is a ship running into the port and we have to check its shipment. It’s routine, but I want you to be cautious.”  
  


Without further delay they started to march off. Before they went, Suki eyed her with worry and decided to later properly voice her concern.

  
In closed formation, the Kyoshi Warriors went to the small port, Suki leading them. They walked down the familiar path from the training room to one of the many shores of Kyoshi Island.  
  


When Ty Lee had first arrived here, everything had felt so exciting and new. She was a stranger to this environment and to their customs, their people. She wasn’t one to oppose change and tried to do the best of the situation. She didn’t want to see her aura again fluctuating to pale shade of a sad grey. However, it’s been a tough time to settle in, since most of the inhabitants and also some of the Kyoshi Warriors eyed her with suspicion, being from the Fire Nation didn’t make the people there go crazy with excitement.  
  


Fortunately, Suki supported Ty Lee a lot and tried to help her as much as she could, so over the course of the last months she became her very own safe haven and not only was Ty Lee very grateful for it, she also found a close friend.

  
Ever since Ty Lee arrived, Kyoshi Island itself was changing a lot. Paradoxically, the end of the war at first caused more commotion than bringing peace into the minds and hearts of the Kyoshi Island inhabitants.

It was unclear which stand Kyoshi Island should or would take within international politics, which repairs it should demand from the Fire Nation, and if there was a rekindling with the politics of the Earth Kingdom. To this day, the debate was still going on, and everyone was watching the international political events closely. There was still a lot upheaval among the population and the date for Ozai’s trial was to be awaited but they all knew that it would be _soon._  
  


The Kyoshi Warriors knew not to mention any of that in front of Ty Lee. They knew that the trial would not only seal the fate of Ozai himself but also the fate of Princess Azula.  
  


Ty Lee didn’t talk to any of them about her, never did, but there was a silent understanding that she was in fact her partner in crime during the war, and that such ties weren’t easy to cut, such memories not easy to forget. While silently understanding the impact of such bond, they all did believe that Ty Lee didn’t go with her out of loyalty and commitment but out of fear, because that was how they saw the Princess. She was seen as the cruel, manipulative warmonger. A criminal that awaited trial, even though no one had actually heard of her yet.  
  


It was always about Ozai, even though the screams for Azula were just as loud, if not at times louder.  
  


That sadness, that was sometimes throbbing so vociferous in her ear, was deafening upon hearing about such news through the gossip of the locals. On days like these she felt powerless, defeated and wished for nothing more than for Azula to appear to conquer the day, to tell her what to do, tell her how to make these thoughts stop. A sad smile found its way on Ty Lee’s face. The Princess of the Fire Nation would certainly not want to hear about emotions, she would look upon her with disgust.

  
The acrobat was once again so lost in her own thoughts, that she didn’t notice that they already arrived at the small port. The other Kyoshi Warriors were already fanning out while she, confused for a moment as to where she was, stood and didn’t move.

  
“Ty Lee! What is up with you?” Suki looked a bit angry.

  
“Captain Suki, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to space out!”

  
“Ty Lee” she started looking more concerned than irritated, “I’m getting worried. You’ve been acting all strange lately, especially today. Is it about the letter?”

  
At that Ty Lee’s eyes widened in serious surprise.

  
“What Letter, Suki?!” the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors was unsure for a moment, never really having seen such emotion crossing the features of Ty lee’s face.

  
“The Letter from the Fire Lord Zuko, I gave it Katami to deliver it to you.”  
  


By that Ty Lee was almost _angry._ A Letter by Zuko? When did it arrive? Today? Last week?

  
The last time she received a letter from Zuko, he told her that she was not allowed to visit Azula and that she would have to await further notice. None of her letters were answered after that. It had been over a month after she last sent a letter to Zuko, hoping he would finally tell her what was going on with his sister. Not even Mai could tell her what was going on, arguing that this was a hot, political charged issue which needed to be addressed with care.  
  


She was so disappointed when she received the letter of Mai. She didn’t want to hear about politics, she wanted to know about the wellbeing of her childhood friend! They were possibly the strongest trio across the Fire Nation, friends for years – at least to Ty Lee they were – and this was how it had to end? How was she supposed to open the doors for content peace to flood her heart, for her aura to turn into its glorious pink again? How was she supposed to do so, when she was left falling into the pits of the ever unknowing? There were so many possibilities and for once the acrobat couldn’t rise in the exhilarating thrill of mystery and adventure, to keep up with the pace of change with an unwavering smile.

  
“Where is Katami?” the acrobat urgently asked. “Why didn’t she deliver it to me?”

  
“She called in sick some days ago, and I’m sorry I didn’t know the urgency this letter holds” Suki admitted, “go to her, we got everything covered. But I want you to make up for it, and now go!” Suki ordered, and Ty Lee was more than happy to oblige.

  
~~~

  
Dressed in her proper Kyoshi uniform, she rushed through the small village at the shore to the house of Katami.  
  


Long forgotten was the elegance with which all Kyoshi Warriors carried themselves. But at that moment she didn’t care. She just wanted to know that everything was alright, she wanted to finally know what was up all along. She needn’t anything else in that moment, just to … _know._

  
When she arrived at the house she was out of breath and felt sweat forming on her forehead. She needed a moment to calm her breathing, she didn’t want to upset the already sick Katami by surprising her in all her eagerness to get that letter. While she was somehow angry at Katami, even though she knew she wasn’t to blame, she felt bad for not feeling bad about Katami being sick. Normally, she would worry about her comrades, but she had other worries on her mind at that moment.  
  


It was always something different when the Princess was involved. The Prodigy didn’t even have to be present to pull all the attention to her.

  
For the first time that day, this sinking feeling in her stomach was countered by a lighter feeling. By excitement and hope. The acrobat wanted to put her mind at ease, to go about her days like she used to, where Azula wasn’t always lurking in the shadows, calling her, making her feel bad, feel _wrong._

  
She took yet another breath and took two timid steps toward the dark wooden door and gently knocked a few times. She listened carefully for steps to open the door for her, with a faster heartbeat she awaited the letter, into which she laid so much faith.  
  


Why, she didn’t know. She didn’t even know what she actually expected. Did she think they would allow her to visit her? Would they bring bad news? Whatever it was, Ty Lee was determined to not float around it anymore, she wanted to stay strong, appreciating the uniform aiding her with more confidence and strength.

  
The door creaked as a tall, pale looking figure opened it. She saw dark messy hair and some loose strands falling into her face. She now felt a bit embarrassed for just stopping by, demanding the letter and not even having brought something with her.

  
“Ty Lee?” she spoke with a weaker voice, “Did something happen?”

  
For a silent moment she felt so very unsure, but remembering what her mission was, she stood taller.  
  


“I’m so sorry for disturbing your well needed rest, but there is an urgent matter. Suki told me you had a letter for me.”

  
For a moment Katami seemed to have forgotten that she ever had to deliver a letter, but she quickly remembered. With a small, shy smile she told her to wait. She politely told her, that she wouldn’t want to invite her in – she didn’t want to risk her getting sick, too. Without further stretching the time until she would get this letter, Ty Lee simply nodded.

  
It took just a few moments until Katami gave the letter with the beautiful insignia of the fire lord, the emblem of power, to Ty Lee, who was eager to say goodbye and read it somewhere on her own, but it felt like hours. She knew it was rather rude to just take it and leave, despite Katami being sick, but she just couldn’t help herself.  
  


She thanked her and wished her to get well soon. The door closed and Ty Lee, with her eyes reflecting the emblem of the Fire Nation, ran into a small forest nearby. She was out of breath again, the second time of the day, despite being a trained warrior and a skilled acrobat. But this time she didn’t wait for her heart to slow down, for her breathing to relax, she didn’t even take the time to brace herself for what was yet to come. She ripped the letter open and the hopeful glint in her eyes disappeared in an instant. It’s been only two lousy sentences, after all this time.  
  


_Ty Lee,_  
  
_I need you to come to the palace as soon as possible._  
_There are urgent matters at hand._  
  
\- _Zuko_

  
Ty Lee was fed up with thinking so much, so she went into full-acting mode.  
  


She clutched the letter and ran back to the port. The heat of the day didn’t stop her, the breeze didn’t make her feel refreshed. The coldness, however, was washed away.  
  


The letter didn’t let on much, but she knew she would soon find out all about it. A spark of happiness ignited in her heart.  
  


She hadn’t been to the Fire Nation ever since the war ended and she joined the Kyoshi Warriors. She was looking forward to finally seeing Mai again, to inhaling the scent that’s typical for the Fire Nation. She knew that Kyoshi Island couldn’t compare to the beauty of her homeland. Everything seemed brighter, more alive there.  
  


She especially loved the spring, when the whole country would be littered with cherry blossoms in their beautiful light shade of pink. It was the only time where she thought that the Fire Nation for once did look rather harmless.  
  


At last she would see Azula. But she shook her head, she didn’t want to think anymore until she arrived there and would be told what the issue was.

  
When she spotted Suki talking to her comrades, she disregarded all formality and rushed to her, touching her shoulder and spinning her around. Suki tensed, already preparing to take a defensive stance but quickly returning to her normal pose upon seeing that it was just Ty Lee.

  
Without wasting more time, Ty Lee told Suki that the Fire Lord himself summoned her to the palace and that she needed to take the next ferry. Ty Lee knew that Suki couldn’t object to the wishes of the Fire Lord, so she just nodded but added, “Ty Lee, are you sure you will be fine?”

  
The acrobat shrugged it off like this was no big deal at all, and for the first time that day she gave Suki a real, big smile, which others were so used to seeing on her face. At that Suki noticeably relaxed, wished her a safe journey and reminded her of all the duties, which would await her once she returned. Ty Lee swung her into a big hug and told her that she would gladly assume duty then. With a cheeky smile she waved goodbye to the bystanders.

And with that she was off to her home to pick up things she would need.

~~~

Ty Lee arrived at last when the sun was already setting.  
  


She was exhausted, she didn’t particularly enjoy the rides on warships. Everything was just too dark and gloomy on there. She disliked the cold metal everywhere and was glad to have finally arrived.  
  


Despite her exhaustion, she was happy, and her heart once again sped up. She was overwhelmed for a moment at the sight of the ominous Royal Palace of the Fire Lord. For a moment, all of her beloved memories from childhood came crashing in like waves. She wanted to dwell in them, but one of the Imperial Guards pulled her out of it. With an urgent tone they insisted that she saw the Fire Lord immediately. She didn’t even have the time to put her bag away.

  
It was a shame that she could no longer relish in those moments, admire the dangerous beauty of the palace, as the deep red rays of the sun reflected all the emotions which she felt that moment. Before entering the palace through giant doors, she took note that the big statue of Ozai was missing, and that in general the palace seemed less guarded than ever before. That elicited a distant worry in her, thinking of how everything changed so quickly around here, she might not be able to grasp it all at once.

  
The guards were guiding her to what seemed to be Zuko’s room. They opened the door to his chamber, revealing the Fire Lord sitting behind his desk, and the remaining rays of light filtering through the big room. When she saw who stood behind him, hands gently laying on his shoulders, she let out a loud shriek and rushed to Mai.

  
“Mai, oh my god, it’s been such a long while!” she exclaimed happily, almost suffocating the eventual Fire Lady.  
  


Mai’s ever stoic facial features were crossed by a faint smile, as she lightly reciprocated the hug. Ty Lee was smiling brightly, and, to the visual shock of the guards, which guided her into this room, slapped Zuko on the shoulder, telling him that he looks “fresh” in his Fire Lord attire.  
  


For a swift moment, the picture of Azula in Fire Lord garb came into her mind and she couldn’t help but think that it would fit her so much better. Focusing her attention back to the couple, she took a seat in front of the desk.

  
“Would you like to drink some tea?” Mai asked, “Unfortunately, there’s not much time since you arrived fairly late.”

  
“It wasn’t my fault!” the Kyoshi Warrior pouted slightly, totally forgetting that she’d just been offered tea. She quickly dropped the pout after remembering that a pressing matter brought them all back together. Her cheeky smile returned.

  
For the first time that evening Zuko opened his mouth.

  
“Ty Lee, I’m glad you’re finally here now” he signaled with a nod that the guards should leave now.  
  


The acrobat grew uncertain but was thankful that Mai was present.

  
“As Mai said there is not much time left for the task at hand, that’s why I wish for you to listen carefully to what I have to say next. And I must insist on the importance of discretion. You’re one of the few Mai really trusts, and I do trust her” he began.  
  


Ty Lee didn’t think about interrupting him, because soon she will be able to put her mind at easy, maybe even visit Azula. Since he hasn’t said anything about a death of a certain person, she was already in higher spirits.  
  


“You have my word, Zuzu” Ty Lee replied cheerfully.  
  


Mai shot her a slight glare as she was using this nickname, whereas Zuko brushed it off. There really had to be an urgent issue.

  
“I knew I could count on you. As you may know, the end of the war has changed a lot. The world has yet to find its place in an era of peace. The upcoming trial of my fa- Ozai is causing turmoil within the world, especially in the Fire Nation” at the mentioning of the former Fire Lord, Ty Lee could see a conflicting emotion cross his face.

  
“An issue, which is just as loaded, is the trial of Azula” he paused gauging the reaction of the girl he knew ever since they were kids. He could see her face change in an instant from bubbly happy to more of a serious face.

  
“To begin with, she is quite well. It took her some months to recover from snapping. It was probably the initial shock that she had lost everything that made her descent into madness. I never thought I would say that about my sister, but I’m glad that she’s better – she’s more herself.”

  
His expression strangely turned into a gentler one when he talked about the recovery of the sister, who wanted to kill him on more than one occasion. It made the acrobat realize just how much had changed ever since she left. Ty Lee’s face lit up again.  
  


“That’s great to hear! But ... why wasn’t I allowed to see her? I bet it was a tough time for her!” her face fell once again at the thought of Azula being all alone with her insanity in a dark room, most probably some kind of prison cell. Zuko ignored her question and continued.

  
“There isn’t much time, the ship is prepared to depart in the next hour when night falls.”

  
“Ship? Where to?” Ty Lee was very confused and looked to Mai, but she couldn’t read her.

  
“The world” Zuko paused, “wants Azula dead.”  
  


The grey eyes of the acrobat widened in shock and she stopped breathing for a second.  
  


She knew that especially the Earth Kingdom wanted “justice” – more like revenge – for what Ozai, and with him Azula, had done. But hearing it from Zuko kind of made it too real for her. She imagined the Princess in a court with manacles, a filthy robe, messy hair. With no dignity, no honor, no escape. It would be the death of her.  
  


She began to panic, “We have to stop it! We can’t just give her to them! Zuko, no, we can’t!”

  
She stood by now, pleading, her arms both spread on the desk of Zuko. Desperation found its home in her.

  
“Ty Lee,” Mai said, a hint of compassion shown in her eyes, “let Zuko talk.”

  
But Ty Lee couldn’t take it.

  
“You just wanna watch her die like that? She didn’t deserve that, Mai!” her grey eyes shining from tears which threatened to form and spill. Her chest was heaving.

  
“Ty Lee!” Mai said louder this time.

  
“There’s no time, we don’t have another chance.” Zuko said, growing impatient and before Ty Lee could interrupt, he said, “The ship will head back to Kyoshi Island. Azula will come with you, join the Kyoshi Warriors and stay under the radar until things cooled off.”

  
It was said with such nonchalance that the acrobat thought she must’ve misunderstood. Azula... coming with her? Joining the Kyoshi Warriors? It was all too much, she felt dizzy. She needed to sit back down, a hand on her head, her eyes squeezed shut, trying to counter the dizziness.

  
It was then that the door opened, and a figure appeared.  
  


Ty Lee’s back was still facing the door, she was unable to comprehend what was just said. She first had to get a hold of her dizziness before she could think about turning around. However, she could sense the powerful aura which penetrated the air. It was way more powerful than the one of the Fire Lord himself.

  
_Azula!_ Ty Lee thought and spun around, not minding the spinning world around her anymore.  
  


Her mouth was agape. Before her very own eyes weren’t the Azula in her battle armor she so often saw in the past. A deep red robe hung around her shoulders, beneath it was an almost all black outfit. Only small traces of the colors of the Fire Nation were visible. Black, red, gold. She looked _older _.__  
  


It’s been only 7 months, but it felt like she hadn’t seen her in years. Her face was more striking, her eyes glowing in the fading light of the day, reflecting the light of the candles the deep amber seemed haunting.  
  


The moment Ty Lee caught Azula’s eyes she froze.  
  


She wanted to stand up and rush to her, hug her, squeeze her – appreciate the fact that she’s still alive and not in immediate captivity.

  
But after all this time she seemed to kind of forgot. Oh spirits, how could she just _forget_ that? It was Azula after all.  
  


The Princess seemed to haven’t lost one bit of her authority. Her dominant presence forcing Ty Lee to sit perfectly still, not daring to move any further. The confusion, the excitement, the panic, the hope – they all gave way to a feeling one always felt in her presence – fear.  
  


Despite the fact that Azula never directly hurt her, she was anxious and actually unsure as the eyes of the firebending prodigy, directed at her, slightly widened in surprise and were followed by anger.  
  


Zuko, evidently nervous as well, stood now. Azula took confident steps toward the three of them, slamming the door shut.

  
“What is that circus freak of a _traitor_ doing here?” She more demanded than really asked, never leaving her out of sight.  
  


Ty Lee couldn’t be trusted. She wouldn’t repeat the same mistake twice.  
  


The acrobat wasn’t so sure anymore, that Azula wouldn’t ever physically harm her. She wanted to step up for herself, after all she was a warrior, experienced in combat. Her mind was racing, her body, however, didn’t obey. She should’ve been used to it, although it’d been a while. The insult stung nevertheless.

  
Mai’s stoic facial features didn’t change considerably, but she grew edgy as the thickness of tension seemed to suffocate all of them – except for Azula. The assassin remained behind Zuko’s desk, letting him pass to take a protective stance in front of Ty Lee.

  
“Azula, we talked about this. She is the only chance you have right now, I don’t see another way,” Zuko countered, stopping her in her tracks.  
  


She was inches away from Zuko’s face, but her eyes were fixed on Ty Lee.  
  


Her hands beginning to fume. The Fire Lord slightly rose his arms to further enact his protectiveness.  
  


He knew that she would somehow react like this, but the immediate danger in front of his eyes was frightening him. Not just because if this didn’t work out, they probably had no chance to hide the Princess from the world, but also because he summoned Ty Lee, not letting her on one bit what was to happen and bringing her into this critical situation.

  
The fume vanished slowly as the realization dawned on her. Zuko let out a breath he didn’t know he held all this time.

  
With a slightly raised eyebrow and a smirk, she remarked, “I didn’t know you were able to scheme, Zuzu. You know exactly that I wouldn’t have agreed if I had known about this. I’d rather die than being a filthy earth peasant and being under _her_ supervision," a slight wicked smile plastered her face. “But I won’t give you that satisfaction anymore.”

  
Zuko didn’t respond, he simply looked at her thoughtfully.

  
“Azula,” Ty Lee said for the very first time in front of the Princess.  
  


She now got all the attention directed at her.  
  


“It’s so good to see you, I’m glad that you’re well again” she tried to smile as wide as she could muster up while bowing a little, trying to simply swallow all the negative things for a moment and focus on the positives.

  
“I can’t say the pleasure’s mine” Azula retorted but it seemed like the situation lost most of its edge, since she mostly seemed to have diverted her attention to the task at hand.

  
“Ty Lee, I know this has been overwhelming and you’re confronted with a lot all at once. But I need you to focus and to successfully fulfill your mission. In a few minutes I, as the Fire Lord, will announce that Azula was to be transported to the palace in preparation of the upcoming trials. Unfortunately, a great storm crossed their way and we have lost all communication ever since. I want you to be on the ship to Kyoshi Island by that time. I prepared a letter I want you to give to Suki. It is of utmost importance to keep Azula’s cover intact, making her become one of the Kyoshi Warriors is our best bet.”

  
At the mentioning of Azula being one of the Kyoshi Warriors, being in that uniform, the Princess’ face fell with disgust. She knew, however, that the time was running – she cooperated, without interrupting him.  
  


It was all a game and Azula was the greatest at playing games. Like chess. She had to think in advance, calculating her every moves, analyze the situation, work with the options she had. But unfortunately, there weren’t many to begin with.

  
“You have to ensure that Azula’s disguise won’t be busted, Ty Lee. You’re chosen for a reason.” Zuko said and Ty Lee didn’t have any other choice but to nod and accept the mission she was being commanded with.  
  


Zuko patted her awkwardly on the shoulder and gave a signal for them to go. Azula put her concentrated game face on, for now all that counted was her escape running smoothly.  
  


There was no time for her rage towards the world now, she learnt to accept that when she had a lot of time to think about all that happened. Nevertheless, she knew that her time was yet to come and she would take all the necessary steps to guide her to her ultimate destiny.

  
The Princess pulled a black mask up, leaving her mouth and nose covered.

  
“Come,” she simply ordered as she swiftly turned around and left the room, without bothering to say goodbye.


	2. Chapter 2

It was almost midnight.  
  


The waves roughly crashed against the warship. There was almost no one there except for the captain operating it.   
  


Ty Lee disliked these kinds of ships now more than ever. Every squeak and every creak echoed through the abandoned floors of the battleship and the acrobat felt the loneliest she’d been in a long time. This feeling was similar to the ones she ever so often encountered at home. The feeling of being one of many, of not being paid attention to, of not being remembered, not even on special occasions like a birthday, hurt and made her eventually leave her “home” in order to join the circus, something she has yearned for a long time.   
  


She had the possibility to escape and so she did. But right there on this spiritsforsaken ship in the middle of the roaring sea, she was trapped.   
  


Suddenly her room seemed to become smaller with each passing second, as an invisible weight laid onto her chest. She stood up from the bed and paced back and forth. She had to get out of this room, out onto the deck. She really didn’t want to acknowledge the color of her aura, it would only contribute to further dampen her mood. She took big steps and climbed several stairs until she finally reached the deck.

  
The wind was chilly and blew moderately but Ty Lee simply stretched her hands out towards the sky, closed her eyes and savored the moment. She felt as the weight that pressed down on her chest was lifted from her. She was already so much better.   
  


She deeply inhaled the salty air and spun around, smiling. It’s when she heard someone clear her throat. She opened hey eyes and saw the Princess standing at the rail. If it weren’t for those ever-glowing eyes of hers, the acrobat wouldn’t have spotted her, since she is barely visible in her dark outfit.

  
“Did you perhaps hit your head too many times?” the Princess asked, glaring at her. Not even a minute in the presence of the acrobat, her voice was already dripping with annoyance.

  
“Azula,” Ty Lee said eagerly, glad to be around someone – anyone.

  
“Ain’t it a wonderful night?” she asked, totally ignoring the mean comment. She wasn’t really expecting an answer though.

  
At that moment she was simply content to feel the light breeze tickling her skin. She walked over to the rail where Azula was standing, both hands on the rail, looking out at the sea. The grey eyed girl placed herself next to the Princess, her back leaning on the rail.   
  


As expected, there was no answer, so she just closed her eyes, leaned back and enjoyed her small moment of freedom.

  
However, when she opened her eyes again, she was surprised to see that Azula’s gaze had shifted from the sea to her.

  
“Not as wonderful as it is boring to sit still and wait for your dignity to be ripped away for good,” she suddenly said with no trace of any emotion.   
  


While her earlier gaze held thoughtfulness, it now harbored a devious glint, viciously smiling she added, “Might as well make it worthwhile.”

  
In the blink of an eye, it all turned upside-down, not giving Ty Lee any chance to prepare for the assault that would leave her being grasped at her throat with such force, that she was gasping for air as she clutched the one hand who would preserve her life or erase it entirely.

  
“Since you’re one of a kind, a _freak _,__ you may entertain me,” She said, slightly loosening her grip so that the girl at her mercy was able to breathe a bit less painfully.

  
Azula, totally ignoring – or relishing the struggle – felt the power, felt the ultimate control over someone again as it pulsated through her bloodstream, making her feel alive.   
  


“Now, I wonder how many seconds it would take for someone like _you_ to helplessly drown as the waves relentlessly come crashing down on you.” Her cruel smile was still in place and she waited in anticipation, watched her victim like a lion would watch its prey.

  
This day had caught Ty Lee off guard so many times, she actually questioned herself if she really was an elite warrior, once a part of the dangerous three.  
  


She knew second hand that when the Princess was conquering the world she commanded with brute force, with sheer determination. But never before had she really encountered the consequences of such behavior, much less experiencing it firsthand.   
  


It frightened her, the coldness within these golden eyes, directed at her, shook her to the core. Now wasn’t the time to think though, but to act.

  
She released one hand from Azula’s grip, making it so much harder to breathe again, and tried to gather all of her strength and concentration. She lunged forward, took aim at the chi point which would paralyze Azula’s right arm and free her from her death grip.  
  


The Princess, however, saw the strike coming, stepping backwards in order to prevent her arm from going limb – she would avoid _that_ scenario at all costs. Nevertheless, it resulted in the desired outcome.   
  


Ty Lee greedily took a deep breath, clutching the rail and swung forward with her legs, kicking Azula further away, creating well needed distance. Azula recoiled but her wicked grin didn’t falter.

  
“What in the world has gotten into you?! Are you _insane _?”__ Ty Lee shouted, her voice hoarse from the grip and the adrenaline rush. Her unsettling grin faltered at last at that remark, a frown now evident. The acrobat’s chest visibly rose and fell.  
  
  
The reminder of her time in the asylum has caught her off guard, but Azula quickly regained composure after being slightly taken aback by such comment coming from Ty Lee’s mouth.

  
A smirk found its way on the were-to-be-Fire-Lord, “Relax, nothing happened.” she explained nonchalantly.

  
“It’s been fun, though,” she waved with her hand, emphasizing the fact that it wasn’t a big deal to her. And with that she left the deck, descending into the darkness of the ship, leaving Ty Lee alone with the fact that she was no longer a “friend” of Azula.

  
A silent tear rolled down her face as she collapsed against the rails, feeling as if she couldn’t withstand all the pressure that was laid upon her that day anymore. She felt an unidentifiable stab within her, as she replayed the thought that she was for real no longer a friend to Azula.   
  


She never stopped regarding Azula as one, not even after being pressured into leaving circus for Azula’s mission, not after she was thrown into the worst prison of the Fire Nation, not after hearing that the Princess was defeated and had gone mad. No matter what Azula had done in the past, to Ty Lee, the small, innocent girl was still in there somewhere. Her childhood friend, her idol. She had always admired her strength, her confidence, her intelligence.   
  


She was a master, a general, a prodigy. A friend.

  
The horror, the pain, visible on the girl’s face should be due to the fact that just some minutes ago the atmosphere around Azula changed for the worse, seriously threatening to harm her. Disturbingly enough, it was due to the realization of the implications the past situation held.

  
_Her_ Azula had never done anything remotely close to that, she was the only one Azula ever had apologized to after once hurting her feelings. She’d shown her remorse and even brief compassion. She felt special now out of all places.

  
All of a sudden, the overwhelming need to grieve for the lost friend she’d never thought she’d lose seized her. All these months she’d been worried, thought about her wellbeing. All these months she’d been waiting for a sign, for something to ease her mind, to reassure her. It all led to this knowledge – something she’d had felt all along, making her act so out of character at times, making her friends worry.

  
Little did she know that these feelings wouldn’t derive from the initial fear the Princess may be dead, but from the fear that _she_ may be dead to the Princess. Irrevocably. Sobs erupted from her,   
shoulders shaking from the impact.   
  


~~~

  
“S-She’s what?!” Suki almost screamed as the acrobat looked at her with big eyes, trying to look cute enough so she wouldn’t be as mad.  
  


Ty Lee hastily signaled her to keep it down, nervously looking around. To her relief, no one seemed to have taken notice of the commotion in the training room. The acrobat specially got up earlier than usual to catch Suki alone before the other warriors would arrive. Suki’s initial joy to have Ty Lee return that early quickly faded as the latest Kyoshi recruit told her of a special person that awaited further instructions at her home.

  
Ty Lee had awkwardly ordered Azula to just do _nothing_ until she’d return, hopefully with a solid plan and Suki’s support. The Princess’ eyebrow shot up at that, challenging her, daring her to say it again. But the acrobat stood her ground for once, kind of, as she neither apologized nor rowed back on what she said. She did leave the house rather quick though.

  
“Here? As in on this island?” She asked incredulously, her cheeks tinged with a bright red.

  
It would’ve been almost funny to see Suki looking like a baffled teenager instead of the composed leader she was, if it weren’t so damn serious. Ty Lee just nodded shyly, her shoulders hunched. She knew that Suki wouldn’t take it well, hell, she herself still couldn’t believe the situation she was in. But what choice did they really have?

  
“She needs our help, Suki. We are her only hope…” the grey eyed warrior tried to calm her but was met with such lack of understanding that she didn’t even finish her sentence.

  
“She is a _monster _,__ Ty Lee! She is pure evil, and we’re supposed to include her in our elite team?! Which was, by the way, formed to protect the islanders from people like her!” Suki was breathless and   
stood by now, not being able to sit still.   
  


She paced back and forth, shaking her head in disbelief. This was contrary to all of her principles. She was entrusted with the honorable task to serve and protect the population of Kyoshi Island, leading a group of warriors, who trusted her with their lives. How was she supposed to just lose all sense of self and allow such unreasonable demand? This was insulting to everything she and the proud Kyoshi Island Warriors stood for.

  
“Suki, please! She is my friend and she needs me – needs this! I can’t just leave her to her fate and let her die. I couldn’t live with myself anymore, knowing I could’ve prevented it! I know she’s not the nicest person, but you don’t know her the way I do – did!” the acrobat ranted, leaving no room for Suki to interject.

  
“I just can’t let her die.” She repeated in a weak voice, “If she goes down, I do, too!” she said, trying to get a hold of herself, but her eyes betrayingly revealing all the conflict.

  
Suki was stunned for a moment, but it didn’t take long until she realized something and fumed, “This is blackmailing! If she’s being caught here, she will be affiliated to us!” Ty Lee was quiet, but judging from her surprised look, the acrobat didn’t seem to have any clue about such matters.

  
After a short moment of silence Suki quizzically asked, “Why are you even doing this to yourself? She’s thrown you into prison to rot! If she had won the fight against Zuko, you wouldn’t be here, maybe even dead!” Suki knew that she was being very harsh, but that girl needed to open her eyes!  
  


Even after all this time the acrobat couldn’t seem to free herself from the Princess. The reasons were unbeknownst to her. She assumed that once Ty Lee got out of prison and in a supporting environment, she would get past this, but she was obviously mistaken.

  
A tear strolled past the acrobats reddened cheeks, as she barely audible said, “You don’t know a damn thing,”   
  


With that Ty Lee stood, wiping away the tear with the back of her hand. Suki saw the sorrow in her eyes and immediately felt bad. She hadn’t ever seen the other girl so distraught.  
Ty Lee reached into her pocket and wordlessly threw Zuko’s letter in front of Suki’s feet.   
  


She turned around and was about to leave the room without another word when Suki tried to reach out to her.

  
“Ty Lee, wait,” but Ty Lee shrugged her off, fleeing the situation.

  
Once the acrobat was out of the training room she ran as fast as she could, she couldn’t stand being in there anymore. She had hoped to return with Suki’s support, but now the situation seemed even more hopeless than before.

  
Ty Lee knew what she needed to do next. She would return home and fix herself a calming lavender tea. She reckoned that it would be futile to think of some solution in her state of mind.

  
She finally reached the more remote part of the island, where her house was situated at the beach. Not bothering to cover up her inner turmoil, she came crashing through the door, slamming it shut and leaning at the door with her back. She let her head fall back as well. She could feel her rapid pulse from running within her ears.

  
Azula watched her with interest from her place at the small round table.

  
Before Ty Lee could plead to Azula to stop her remarks for once, she already asked amused, “It seems like she didn’t take it well?”   
  


It was obviously more of a statement than a question. Ty Lee ignored it, not finding the strength to play that game with Azula right now.   
  


The acrobat began to push herself off of the door and strode towards the kitchen. She pulled out a teapot and began preparing a cup. Azula not liking being ignored, left her place at the table and went into the kitchen as well.

  
“It’s pretty rude of you to not offer me tea as well,” she said, acting like it actually offended her, while she only wanted to get under her skin.

  
Azula was quite close to Ty Lee, it would only take her another step to close the gap between their bodies. It was too close for Ty Lee’s liking as the Princess proved to be unpredictable. Ty Lee spun around, now facing her cruel childhood friend.   
  


She lifted her hand slightly, emphasizing her words, “Azula, please. Not right now.”

  
In Azula’s ears this was a direct invitation to continue playing her little games with the acrobat.   
  


She deliberately took a step closer to Ty Lee, knowing that it made her fairly nervous. But before she could get too close, the grey eyed girl touched her shoulder and held her in position.   
  


“Don’t come that close to me!” she hastily said. It only elicited a smirk and the trademark raised eyebrow of the Princess.   
  


Azula felt the trembling of the hand that steadily gripped her shoulder. Ty Lee’s head hung a little due to the mental exhaustion she’d experienced within the last days. Although her eyes held traces of fear, the sadness was prevalent.

  
Suddenly, Azula reached out to stroke Ty Lee’s cheek with her fingers. The sensation of Azula’s warm fingers on her face surprised the acrobat as her eyes widened in astonishment. But what surprised and confused her the most was Azula actually being... _affectionate_? It couldn’t be, could it?

  
It was hard to not think about the time she, Azula, Mai and Zuko went to Ember Island, taking a forced break from the war.   
  


It was ridiculous how the Princess was able to conquer the impregnable city Ba Sing Se, but at the same time was totally clueless and hopelessly awkward in social situations. It was probably the only situation ever in which Ty Lee actually felt superior to Azula.

  
Ever since Ty Lee had gotten into puberty and had grown quickly into her feminine body, she had learnt to use it to her advantage. Azula, however, would probably never be aware of her body to be anything else than a deadly weapon.   
  


She certainly had the necessary assets and was without a doubt gorgeous, Ty Lee admitted in her thoughts. Not even all these months in captivity changed that fact, if at all, she was now more beautiful than ever, even without all of her servants looking after her flawless appearance.

  
Despite it all, Ty Lee was stunned at the gesture of Azula. It left her wondering as to where she had picked that up from and suddenly, she wasn’t so sure anymore if Azula really wouldn’t ever be aware of the effect her body could have on others, despite fear.

  
Her touch was almost _soft_ and _intimate_ but nothing the firebending Prodigy ever did was without a reason. Ty Lee was overwhelmed by the warm relaxing feeling that the touch had caused her. She felt tempted to give in and let her head rest against the hand of Azula.

  
But as quick as it happened the moment was over.   
  


Ty Lee felt disappointed even though she didn’t really know why.   
  


But before she could begin to dwell on that though, Azula said, looking cocky “Look at you, all fragile and foolish.”  
  


She promptly lost interest in her little game, retreated her hand and resumed her place at the table, watching the beach out of the window.

  
Without wasting another thought on what she just did, Azula dedicated her thoughts to that Kyoshi peasant Suki. She was aware of that outcome long before Ty Lee came rushing in. It wasn’t difficult to predict the way Suki must’ve reacted.

  
After all, who would want to help the girl who got information regarding the Avatar out of her by, let’s say, _unconventional means _.__  
  


Knowing that left her neither nervous nor unsettled.   
  


She had to admit that she was impressed with how well her for-once-not-so-useless brother thought this through. No matter how much Suki hated her, she had no other choice but to accept.   
  


If the Princess of the Fire Nation, the most wanted girl in the world, were to be caught on Kyoshi Island, not only would she go down, but the Island would as well, as they’d be accused of helping and hiding the war criminal of the 100-year war. And any try to reason would be met with deaf ears. Their fate would be sealed, and Suki was painfully aware of that.


	3. Chapter 3

The drill was thoroughly straining and even though Ty Lee considered herself to be very fit, new muscles seemed to appear, hurting with every step. No one dared to say anything to their leader, though. Suki was practically embodying tension and she hoped to shed it with a strict regimen of continuous physical exertion.  
  
  
The blaring sun had already moved way past the zenith, leaving all the warriors panting, enduring the incredible heat that accumulated on their skin and under the layers of their uniform with a certain grace, common for the protectors of Kyoshi Island.  
  
  
Stance after stance, seamlessly transitioning to intense sparring and back again to the stances. It would take yet another tearing hour until the exceptionally rough and debilitating drill found its end. A silent wave of relief rolled over the faces of the drilled. But no one spoke when Suki announced that the training was over. They all respectfully bowed and slowly, timidly parted without another word. Some of the warriors stole concerned glances at Suki, and sometimes at Ty Lee, but they knew to call it a day.  
  
  
While almost every fiber of Ty Lee’s body was aching, she had enjoyed the drill a lot. It might sound weird, but it was liberating to her. She was able to release all the conflicting emotions from the past days, let go of the harsh names Azula called her, and tolerate the ugly truth of Suki’s words.  
  
  
Her leader was obviously struggling with her aching muscles as well, since she winced when she tried to pick up her remaining things but spilled it instead. Ty Lee immediately walked over to her and helped her pick up her notebook and some pencils.  
  
  
“Thank you, Ty Lee” she smiled a bit as Ty Lee handed her over the things she gathered, but her face was strained from the drill. For a moment there was a tense silence which was eventually broken by Suki again.

  
“I wanted to apologize for the mean words I said this morning” she began, looking very sorry. Ty Lee’s smile began to grow significantly as she couldn’t help but go in for a big hug.

  
“Oh Suki! It’s totally ok! I shouldn’t have expected for you to welcome her, after everything she did to you,” Ty Lee said into the shoulder of Suki.  
  
  
“You didn’t actually think I would be happy about it, did you?” Suki asked almost hesitantly, releasing Ty Lee out of the hug. She knew that Ty Lee often was a lovely airhead, but there had to be limits.  
  
  
“Well no, of course not, but... I mean it took me by surprise, too!” she looked thoughtfully at the trees which splendidly sheltered her from the direct sunrays.  
  
  
She continued, “I went there thinking I would at best be able to visit her, look after her or just simply accompany her even if she probably wouldn’t have wanted to see me anyways. But everything happened so fast once I set foot on the Fire Nation. I really didn’t mean for you to be left without a real choice. I’m sorry about that, but I can’t feel sorry for helping Azula,” she said nearly sheepishly, averting Suki’s gaze.  
  
  
The leader watched Ty Lee intently. She seemed to carefully weigh something in her mind, but after some moments she just sighed and said, “There is a lot to plan, a lot to watch out for. If it’s okay with you, I will come over tonight and we will talk about the details. We’re not allowed to make any mistakes, each one could be our last one.” As it dawned on Ty Lee what Suki was telling her she shrieked and hugged Suki once again, but this time with all her might.  
  
  
“Of course! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she beamed and ran off, or rather said walked with hushed steps, probably wanting to tell Azula as fast as possible. “See you tonight” she shouted over her shoulder when she was almost out of sight.  
  
  
Suki exhaled, lifting her hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she looked up at the sky.  
  
  
She will _so_ regret this, but she knew she had no real saying in that matter. Zuko’s letter made it perfectly clear.  
At least that way she could monitor Azula closely when she’d be nearby, and while the Princess had to be out of training, she was still perfectly fit. Suki knew that it would’ve been futile to fight the Princess when Azula was at her best. But there was no way she could be and with that Suki was partly relieved.

~~~

She walked as fast as she could, but eventually couldn’t keep up with her self-imposed pace. The late afternoon sun was still blaring as merciless as some hours ago and her hurrying didn’t help. Her muscles hurt, it was too hot under her uniform and she was sweaty all over.   
  


And yet, she was happy. _Happier_ at least. Happy that Suki gave Azula a shot. She didn’t know what made her change her mind, but she was relieved all the same.

  
She suspected it had something to do with Zuko’s letter. For a moment, a spark of curiosity elicited. She wondered what exactly Zuko had written her, though it didn’t matter much now.  
All that did matter at the moment was the fact that the first step to Azula’s disguise was taken.

  
However, her happiness about the Princess being able to join the Kyoshi Warriors was accompanied with a weird aftertaste. It meant that they would spend _a lot_ of time together starting tomorrow. Uncertainty spread within her body at that thought. How she would react to the other warriors was a whole other question entirely.

  
It’d been only one night and half a day and yet it felt like she had more ups and downs than during the whole prior month.  
It was exhausting being around Azula. On one hand, the sweaty acrobat was so very relieved that her childhood friend didn’t have to languish in a prison cell, chained up and waiting for death at the hands of others to claim her.

  
On the other hand, the Princess was erratic, and she had made it painfully clear what she thought of Ty Lee.   
  


What bothered her the most though was the fact that she felt so _unsafe_ around her.

  
She wouldn’t have thought twice about sharing her house with the Princess before, but after that incident on the warship last night … A shudder ran down her spine and for a short while she felt cold within the heat surrounding her. It was exhausting to be so cautious.

  
Her thoughts came to a halt as she arrived at her home. It took her quite a while to reach it and she looked forward to taking a cooling bath.

  
She opened the door and was welcomed by a refreshing breeze. The heat hadn’t spared the interior of her house, but the sweat made it feel so much cooler than it actually was.  
She was surprised to see that Azula wasn’t there. There weren’t many places she could go to.

  
When they had first arrived, the question about who sleeps where was kind of awkward. Ty Lee had expected Azula to claim her room and bed as if it would be the most natural thing in the world. Instead she didn’t even argue and said she’d take the couch for the time being, sleeping in the open living room which was connected to the entrance and the kitchen.

  
_She didn’t go out, did she?_ Ty Lee wondered. She hoped otherwise though.

  
Even though Azula covered her face, her presence was powerful and dominant. Her uniform was outstanding, too. The Princess was hard to spot at night, but in daylight it was too fancy and too obvious of an outfit to not be noticed. Her outfit screamed “Fire Nation” despite being much darker than the usual Fire Nation attire.

  
Ty Lee hadn’t seen it when she caught Azula’s eyes for the first time, but Azula was indeed wearing her battle armor, which had been hidden beneath the deep red robe.

  
She seemingly had prepared for a fight and hadn’t abandoned the colors of her beloved nation, even though it had abandoned her. The Princess’ tragedy was apparent, but Ty Lee had to faintly smile nonetheless, thinking that only two things in this world seemed to be infinite: The universe and Azula’s pride and love for the Fire Nation.

  
Of course, one could argue that this love was twisted but it was love, nonetheless.

  
For a brief moment she wondered if Azula would ever be able to love someone as much as she did love her nation. Ty Lee found this to be highly unlikely but was already jealous on that someone who might be able to do the seemingly impossible.

  
She shook her head and sighed. _What am I even thinking about?_

  
“Azula?” she called out to her, “Are you there?”

  
Silence.

  
She grew a bit uncomfortable at the quietness and thought that maybe she did go out after all.  
Ty Lee walked past the living room and towards her room. She timidly opened the door to her room. It was empty as well, and it didn’t seem as though the Princess went into it.   
  


“Azula?” she called out once again from her bedroom. Again, there was no answer.

  
She grew nervous. If Azula were to be caught... She shook her head eagerly, trying to escape the images of such an event happening. She needed cool water and walked straight into the bathroom. It was already too late when she noticed.

  
Azula was in the bathtub, her naked body barely covered by some bubbles, but it was sufficient.

  
For the first time since forever she saw the Princess with her hair flowing freely. It was wet and shiny and the whole bathroom smelled deliciously sweet. It smelled like her shampoo but had a distinct _Azula scent_ to it.

  
In a quick motion Azula’s head turned towards her and she saw her body tensing as if she’d been prepared to fight whoever was interrupting her.  
Ty Lee was dumbfounded and mentally slapped her face. Why hadn’t she thought about it?

  
If the situation with Azula hadn’t been complicated enough already, it certainly would be now as Azula scowled at her, groaning.

  
“Uh, sorry, I called out for you, but you didn’t answer, so I thought you’ve gone out and-“ Ty Lee started to ramble until she was harshly cut off by Azula.

  
“What are you still doing in here? Get out, now.” She ordered imperiously.

  
“Right,” Ty Lee just said, turned on her heels, left the bathroom and closed the door behind her.  
  


She facepalmed herself and really didn’t want to get into one of these situations again. She began to pout as she thought that this wasn’t entirely her fault, she could’ve just answered her and this wouldn’t have happened.

  
The sound of the Princess stepping out of the tub startled her since the little warrior was still at the door. She rushed into her bedroom. Her heartbeat had quickened since she really wanted to avoid yet another situation with Azula being very lightly clothed and angry.

  
She exhaled. She really needed a cool bath. The heat seemed to get to her head. She began to strip out of her uniform, removing layer after layer until she was in her room in underwear only. It was already a relief and she smiled.

  
After she heard that Azula went out of the bath, she waited for a few moments and then went into it. When the door closed, she removed her remaining underwear and let cool water flow into the just used tub. While she waited until it was filled, she enjoyed the remaining smell of freshly bathed.

  
When the tub was filled, she first dipped her toe into it but then completely submerged herself into the cool water. She let out a small gasp at the sudden sensation of the cold water around her body, but she quickly recovered, enjoying the refreshment.

  
She sunk deeper in the tub until everything was covered but her head. She started to think about all the things that she needed to do and let her eyes close. Within mere moments she nodded off.

__~~~_ _

__

A few pounding knocks harshly pulled her out of her peaceful nap.

  
She let out a rather loud squeal and overflowing water could be heard. Ty Lee was confused for a moment, her vision momentarily blurry from the sleep. Her heart was beating way too quickly, and the adrenaline woke her up unpleasantly fast.

  
“Azula, what is wrong?” she yelled at the door, worry started to grow after her initial shock wore off.   
  


But Azula didn’t bother to reply to her and asked in a demanding voice instead, “What takes you so long in there?”

  
Ty Lee began to panic a little. How long did she nap? She looked out of the window and saw that the sun would set soon. Suki! Oh snap, Ty Lee thought.  
It certainly wouldn’t take long ‘til Suki would knock at her door.

  
She hastily stumbled out of the bath tub and pulled a large towel out of a closet and wrapped it around her body like a rather short dress. She winced at the quick motions, remembering the drill from the day. The water soothed the ache while she was in the tub, but the pain seemed to return, demanding attention.

  
She hurried to the door and opened it with haste.

  
Azula was still standing there. For a moment something along surprise crossed her features, but she quickly recovered her annoyed face.

  
She still wasn’t dressed, wearing a red robe, the one she always pulled over when she was going to sleep or when she just came out of a bath. Her hair was still down, still a bit wet. While Ty Lee mustered the Princess a little, she noticed for the very first time that Azula had grown. She was now slightly bigger than the acrobat and it only added to the intimidating atmosphere which was the Princess’ best companion.

  
“How late is it?” the smaller girl asked, her voice still a bit affected from the sleep.

  
“Late enough to have already eaten,” Azula replied sternly, indicating that she is hungry and obviously unwilling to cook.

  
“Suki is coming over in a few, we will discuss further details about you joining the Kyoshi Warriors. So, you better get ready quick,” Ty Lee said totally letting the comment of the Princess slip, as she almost squeezed her way out and around Azula, who wouldn’t move one inch, to get to her bedroom.

  
“I will dress quickly and then I will prepare the food,” the acrobat shouted to Azula over her shoulder while going through her drawers in search of something presentable to pull on.

  
After she quickly dressed and braided her hair anew, she went out of her room and into the kitchen to put a pot with water on the stove.

  
The Princess took her usual place at the small table and looked out of the window again. She was still in her robe and didn’t seem to change into something more suitable any time soon.

  
“Azula,” Ty Lee said, almost whining, “why didn’t you change?”

  
But the Princess didn’t say anything, just turned to glare at her and turned her attention back to the window.

  
“Azula, please,” she was nearly pleading. She still didn’t reply, not even turning to her anymore, and after a few moments Ty Lee sighed in defeat.

  
When she picked out some ingredients and started cutting them, it suddenly dawned on her. She wasn’t as thick as she sometimes seemed to be.

  
Azula needed _help_.

  
She began to chuckle.

  
She asked but it was more of a statement already, “Is it because you maybe need help?”

  
Ty Lee’s amusement was apparent and Azula immediately hated that look on her. The acrobat was actually kind of smug and Azula found that it didn’t fit her. She liked them small and quiet, obeying, not like _that_. She shot Ty Lee yet another glare, but it seemed to have been sufficient for Ty Lee to feel confirmed.

  
The acrobat quickly finished cutting and put the ingredients in the pot with some rice to let it boil.

  
“Come,” Ty Lee said excitingly and looked at her hopefully.

  
Azula’s look on her face was incredulous for a moment, as if Ty Lee had said something uncalled for, but after contemplating her options she sighed, stood up and followed her with her clothes in hand.  
There was no way she would face the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors in anything less than her battle armor. She didn’t regard Suki as a serious threat, it was all about intimidation and power.

  
It was already very dark in Ty Lee’s bedroom and before the smaller girl could ask, Azula already lit all the candles in the room with one swift motion of her hand. Even though Ty Lee wanted to ask her to do this and was actually prepared to see her firebend after such a long time, she watched the scene in astonishment.

  
The fire was a brilliant blue and she was in awe as the flames graciously licked at her long slender fingers. She loved to see her firebend, it was so natural for the Princess.

  
Her firebending was as unique as Azula herself and Ty Lee had always admired her for that. She admired her in that moment even more, seeing subtle strength as not even 7 months in captivity and temporary madness could strip her of that power.

  
Azula noticed her stare. She narrowed her eyes and raised one eyebrow at her, silently asking what her deal was.

  
“Your firebending is as beautiful as always” Ty Lee commented, sincerely smiling at her.

  
The Princess was taken aback. No one ever told her that it’s _beautiful_. She didn’t let any of her thoughts show on her face though.

  
“Interesting how you regard something that’s solely made for destruction as something aesthetically pleasing.” Azula remarked, casually brushing off the genuine compliment.

  
“Let’s start,” Azula added in an impatient tone, starting to open the knot that held her robe in place.

  
Ty Lee watched the scene closely out of the corner of her eye. She didn’t know why, but she was curious and couldn’t stop herself from secretly looking at her while she acted like she’d look for a brush and a hair tie.

  
She was fascinated by her gorgeousness and the way the candlelight casted shadows on her body.

  
The robe fell swiftly off of her, revealing her body covered solely in dark underwear and before Ty Lee could suppress it, she needed to take an extra breath. Ty Lee was actually overwhelmed by this sight. She never gave much attention to the female body before as boys were all she ever thought about in _that_ respect.

  
Ty Lee handed over a top to Azula. The Princess didn’t seem to notice any change in behavior since she looked deeply engrossed in thoughts. This gave the acrobat the opportunity to steal another glace or two at the Princess.   
  


Ty Lee blamed these weird thoughts on the fact, that she just hadn’t seen her in a long time – especially not with so few clothes on – and that it must’ve been caused by the atmosphere the now orange flames of the candles caused.

  
When Azula finished putting on her clothes, Ty Lee began pulling the armor over her shoulders.   
  


She’d never done this before and struggled a bit but Azula almost patiently guided her through it. It was kind of strange to Ty Lee to do it and she felt a strange sensation at the process. It made her think back to a time where adventures happened every day and everything was ever exciting.

  
She hated that Azula had torn her away from the circus but eventually came to love the rush from chasing the Avatar or conquering cities. She'd actually loved being by Azula’s side, being with Mai, too, of course.   
  


These thoughts made her feel bad, made her feel like she’d be betraying the Kyoshi Warriors – Suki.

  
If Azula hadn’t imprisoned them, they would be wanted as well by the world. Even if Azula had never intended it, she’d actually done them a favor – never minding the misery Ty Le had felt in the prison – it would’ve been much worse being chased by a world that wanted vicious justice.

  
“I want a top knot,” Azula said, interrupting her thoughts.

  
The acrobat didn’t notice Azula had sit down and waited for her to start.  
Ty Lee simply nodded, grabbed the brush and combed her hair.

  
Azula’s hair was soft to Ty Lee’s fingers and the scent of her shampoo mixed with an unidentifiable note filled her nose. She relished the smoky-like scent.

  
Ty Lee’s touches were gentle and relaxing, but the Princess was tense. She didn’t like being touched much, even less so when it was done by some _traitor_.  
It was apparent that she didn’t really enjoy this whole process, but it was a necessity that needed to be done.

When Ty Lee was finished, she stood up and said, “Finally,”

  
The smaller girl looked at the Princess and was satisfied with the outcome.

  
“Do you want to take a look at the mirror?” She asked innocently, not knowing the buttons she’d pushed.

  
The Princess went over her armor with a hand, enjoying the cool sensation of metal against her palm. Buther moment was instantly destroyed when Ty Lee asked her this question. With wide eyes she almost shouted “What? No!”, and for the first time Ty Lee saw her composure crumble for a few minutes.

  
She didn’t understand what was wrong, and when she asked Azula about it, she only said through gritted teeth “Never ask me about it again” Ty Lee got the message and dropped it – for now.

  
The thick suspension was suddenly interrupted by a few knocks.

  
Ty Lee sighed and put on her big smile, _this will be an interesting evening._


	4. Chapter 4

The tension in the air was so thick, Suki could’ve cut it with her fan.  
  


Ever since she stepped foot into Ty Lee’s house and saw the Princess, she was radiating nervousness while trying to stand tall and emit confidence. Suki was still wearing her uniform, while it was not necessary, she wanted to demonstrate her power and her position the same way Azula had intended to with her battle armor.   
  


She was a leader after all and she had to stand her ground, show Azula that she was calling the shots on this island and that the Princess, now that she would be one of the Kyoshi Warriors, was actually _subordinated_ to her. That thought brightened Suki’s mood a bit and let her tolerate the stern but smug look on the Princess face upon her arrival, since it probably wouldn’t take long to take it off of her.

  
Ty Lee welcomed her with a warm grin and pulled her into a tight hug.

  
Fortunately, Suki’s arrival dissolved the heavy atmosphere that developed after the Princess’ composure crumbled for the very first time at the mentioning of mirrors. There weren’t any traces of that situation left in Azula’s eyes as she was very focused on Suki. The acrobat quickly noticed that both Azula and Suki wanted to display as much confidence as they could muster up. Each of them wanting to win a silent victory.

  
Before Ty Lee could engage her leader in light conversation, trying to lighten the weight of their crashing auras, she saw beside all the determination and mustered up confidence a spike of fear within her eyes. Suki tried hard to hide it and would never admit it, but she wasn’t spared by the effects Azula had on people.

  
“Sit down, sit down,” Ty Lee gestured with her hands to the table, “I prepared rice with veggies, it should be done any minute now,” she said, ushering her to sit down at the small round table with three chairs.   
  


Suki sat down as Ty Lee went back to the stove to stir one last time. Azula leaned back on the kitchen counter with her arms crossed above her chest. Ty Lee picked up some plates and put the food on each of them. She put the plates on the table and they began eating.   
  


Ty Lee and Suki started talking about something, Azula zoned their conversation out, not enjoying this evening one bit.  
The veggies were too salty, and the rice was bland. But it was food, and she hadn’t eaten ever since they had arrived at Kyoshi Island.

  
After they were finished, Suki and Ty Lee stood up, tidying up the mess in the kitchen together. Azula didn’t think once about getting up as well and helping them.  
She was royalty, and royals didn’t clean up.

  
When they were finished, Ty Lee and Suki sat back down at the table. All the time, Azula observed them closely as they interacted with each other. Ty Lee was different around Suki. Azula could see right away that they were more than just professionals – they were friends.   
  


The Princess’ scowl deepened. _Fools_ , she thought.

  
The lightness on Suki’s face from all the idly chatter with the acrobat vanished as the seriousness of the situation was brought back to her. Before the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors could rise to speak - indicating that she’s got the control here - Azula spoke up first with a firm voice, “Let’s get this over with, shall we?” They both stared at her for a moment, it’s been the first time she’d really spoken since Suki arrived.

  
Suki hesitated for a moment but started focusing on the issue at hand quickly.

  
“You will need a new identity. Everyone knows you, knows your name. It’s a very special name,” Suki stated matter-of-factly, not realizing that she had just complimented her enemy.   
  


Azula’s smug look was quickly fading. She started to laugh bitterly. The sound slightly shocked the both of them for a moment, making them uneasy.  
It wasn’t a genuine laugh. In fact, when she laughed like this, Azula wasn’t in a good mood and the unpredictability that Azula embodied was painfully clear.

  
Cold sweat began to form on Suki’s forehead, slowly smudging the white paint on her face. Her heart picked up a beat. She had heard it after she was imprisoned by the Princess and was interrogated while being in a painful, degrading grip of her guards.   
  


Azula had asked her about the Avatar and Suki didn’t comply, saying something witty into the face of her soon-to-be tormentor. Azula had laughed bitterly then, a dangerous, wicked glint in her eyes. _This will be fun_ were the last words she heard before she fell unconscious.

  
Suki tried to shake herself out of it, being insanely glad that Ty Lee was by her side. Even though Suki was the leader and should’ve been in fact superior to her, Ty Lee surpassed her a long time ago – maybe even before she joined the Kyoshi Warriors.

  
“If wearing this filthy uniform wouldn’t be already enough degrading, wearing the name of a nasty Earth Kingdom peasant definitely is,” she said in a disapproving manner, but she didn’t seem to lash out.

  
“Your disguise would be busted before you could count to ten. Wearing the heavy Kyoshi Makeup and the uniform only hides so much,” Suki reasoned. But Azula was aware of that of course. It didn’t make it any easier though.

  
“So, you’re not as stupid as you look like in that uniform,” Azula taunted Suki.

  
“Azula,” Ty Lee joined into the conversation, “we have to do the best out of this situation, there just isn’t any other way right now” she tried to give her a reassuring smile, almost giving into the temptation to reach over the table and squeeze her hand. But Azula didn’t take any of it.

  
“I don’t need any reassurance of a _traitor_ ” Azula hissed, “I’m well aware of the situation that was brought upon me. If only my pathetic brother wasn’t so _weak_ , I would’ve died with honor,” she spat, disgusted with everything.   
  


Ty Lee shivered internally at the last remark, knowing fully well that Azula would’ve preferred death over this – over _her_. She shouldn’t be surprised.

  
Her heart was profoundly aching, knowing that – to Azula – she was worse than dying. In this respect, the hostile words the Princess ever so often hurled into her direction with such ease, didn’t hurt as much. She was baffled by how quickly she got accustomed to the insults of the Princess again.

  
A part of Ty Lee thought she’d deserve it for the way they had parted at the Boiling Rock. The betrayal hovered above Ty Lee’s every move like a giant cloud. It was an ever-following unwelcomed companion, casting massive shadows on Ty Lee and Azula, constantly darkening the atmosphere around them, tearing at the bond the two used to share.

  
Azula leaned back into the chair, crossing her arms.

  
Suki promptly looked over to Ty Lee, searching for any sign of defense at the words of the Princess, but she was silent. Ty Lee looked over to Azula, whose features were controlled and emotionless. She sighed.

  
She started as diplomatic as she could, shoving her growing anger towards the Princess’ into the back, “The situation isn’t ideal for any of us, and it’s inevitable for your disguise to eventually walk on the Island under a different name.”   
  


She looked nervously at the Princess again, but reminding herself of her position, reminding herself to stand tall.   
  


So, she continued, “Suggestions?”

  
“That’s your task. No name originated in the Earth Kingdom is worthy enough to be remembered by me,” she stated coldly, looking bored at her short fingernails.

  
Suki started to tremble from the rage that continually rose whenever Azula opened her mouth. Nothing but insults came out of it.  
She had to remind herself yet again that she did it for her people, it was all for them. If it wouldn’t, she would’ve challenged the Princess at the very first moment.

  
“Katsumi,” Ty Lee spoke up with a rather weak voice, still clearly taken in by her own thoughts.

  
“That’s a good name, Ty Lee,” Suki smiled reassuringly to her, welcoming that she had distracted Suki from her building anger.

  
The Princess looked displeased but refrained from saying anything.

  
“The name isn’t very common here, but it isn’t out of place either,” Suki continued.

  
After they had decided upon a fitting name, Suki told Azula about the Kyoshi Warriors and which tasks they were required to do and about the responsibility they held.

  
In a moment of bravery, Suki admonished Azula to be respectful, respecting her and the others. After her remark that respect was earned, and Suki were one of the last people she would grant it to, Suki stood. Her cheeks slightly becoming red, even under the white make up.   
  


“You better not _fuck up_. After all, it’s your life on the line – not primarily ours!” Suki spat with a heaving chest, both of her hands balled into a fist, her body tense. Ty Lee gasped lightly at hearing Suki using such obscene language.

  
Azula saw the invitation in Suki’s eyes. She brought the girl to lose her composure. She won this evening.   
  


She stood up, too, with a smug smile which Suki wanted to punch out of her. Azula yearned for a good fight, it would certainly brighten her mood and let her forget about the mess her life has become.  
But before anything could happen, Ty Lee stepped in, holding a defensive hand towards the Princess. She would hold her in place if Azula were to lunge forward.

  
“Suki, I think it’s better if you go now. Tomorrow will turn out all fine, Azula’s not dumb,” she tried to deescalate the situation, eyeing Azula.   
  


Suki didn’t say anything at first, she was too focused on her anger which desperately wanted to spill, but after a moment she nodded, letting herself being dragged to the door.

  
The fresh air of the evening sobered her up enough to return to her presence of mind. Ty Lee looked at her apologetic.   
  


She said, “It will be alright. It won’t be forever,” and with this they hugged, and Suki left.   
  


The acrobat took a long breath, relishing the smell of the evening. The sound of the waves relaxing her.  
When she went back in, she saw that Azula sat down again. Her legs were crossed over another and she had a smug look plastered all over her face.

  
“This really wasn’t nice of you, Azula” Ty Lee began to speak, looking for something to distract her nervous hands with. She was very uncertain about the outcome of tomorrow, despite what she said to convince Suki.

  
“It wasn’t meant to be nice,” she simply retorted, her face lacking any genuine emotion.

  
“We are all in this together, if we want to or not!” Ty Lee couldn’t take it any longer. “Why do you have to make it so difficult?” she asked, her voice high-pitched.

  
Azula got up, her smug smile never faltering only increasing.

  
She took slow steps toward Ty Lee, making her unconsciously stepping back until her back touched the kitchen counter.

  
“It’s all a game, my _dear_ freak.”

  
She was now in front of Ty Lee who looked for once more outraged than scared.

  
“You have to play your remaining cards with care. And I advise you to decide wisely on which side the house of cards should collapse on,” she raised her hand to play with Ty Lee’s braid.  
The sudden anger that bubbled over in Ty Lee brought her to slap the Princess’ hand away.

  
“Why is everything a game to you? Kyoshi Island is risking a lot with you being here – and they aren’t even aware of that. They are not given a chance!” She almost shouted, her breathing quickening.

  
“But you’ve been given a great chance, and all you do is toying with the ones helping you!” She looked with angry, pleading eyes at the Princess’, hoping for Azula to not behave like Azula for once. But it was a lost cause, Ty Lee knew.

  
“Now, where would be all the fun then?” She smirked, completely unfazed by Ty Lee’s outburst, only commenting on her daring act with a raised brow.

  
“Nothing will collapse here! Neither you nor me nor this whole island,” the acrobat said, not wanting to participate in her game.

  
All she had to do was ensuring Azula’s disguise would remain intact and everything would be alright. Right? No harm would be done this way.

  
“Why am I not surprised by this optimism of yours?” Azula mused, “Not even war was able to strip you off of it. But there wasn’t any reason to since _I_ was there. A guarantor of success – until I wasn’t anymore,” she backed away from Ty Lee and walked slowly towards the window, hands clasped behind her back, to look out at the ocean.

  
She seemed to get lost in her monologue, “It is a fatal mistake to think you’re just a harmless, bubbly girl. You’re a sheep, following the ones you deem the strongest. You didn’t shy away to betray the Fire Nation, ridiculing everything this great Nation stands fo, its values, by switching sides in an instant and wearing the uniform of greasy paint monkeys,” despite the content of all her words the Princess was eerily calm, but Ty Lee knew it was bad news, not meant to remain.

  
“You didn’t even shy away to betray _me_ in a blink of an eye” The calmness dissipated like a water droplet falling on a hot stone. She spat these words, anger and resentment now clouding Azula’s better judgement. Her eyes were fixed on Ty Lee, showing raw rage in those piercing golden eyes.

  
“Azula,” Ty Lee began with a trembling voice, this time fully pleading “I had no other choice, please believe me! If there could’ve been any other way to preserve you from killing _our_ best friend, then I would’ve done it in a heartbeat!” she was almost begging to be heard out by her, but the Princess was already consumed by her bitterness.

  
The atmosphere around Azula had changed drastically. It was _dangerous_ now.

  
Ty Lee picked up on it immediately, seeing as her aura had turned into a flaring red, it almost seemed black. Compared to now, the incident on the ship seemed almost harmless. She was frightened but the shock sat deep within her core, leaving her unable to move.

  
She was numb to the brutal force with which the atmosphere crashed down on her.

  
It was only when she saw intense blue fire coming from both Azula’s balled fists she knew she had to react.

  
The fire was condensed, looking like an unbelievable hot glowing knife, appearing overwhelmingly threatening.  
Azula could’ve cut off her limbs within seconds without any great difficulty, if she were close enough.

  
Ty Lee’s eyes were so wide, it almost hurt. Her mouth agape, the numbing fear spreading throughout her whole body like a disease. The sight, however, made her instincts kick in and she was in a fight or flight situation.

  
Without thinking any further about it, she fled the scene, running out of the house, running for her life.

  
This situation reminded her painfully of why one never should bring Azula’s wrath upon oneself. She was reminded of all the fear Azula had inflicted in the hearts and minds of everyone who saw her. The reminder was agonizing.

  
She never had needed a reminder, never had to really fear Azula harming her beyond repair. Ty Lee knew Azula ever since she was a little child. She always knew that Azula indeed had a heart, one she sheltered so furiously, never meant to see the light of the day.

  
But she knew it existed. It was real, just like the friendship they shared.   
  


Despite all the insults and orders, she knew that Azula had considered her a friend as well. The acrobat knew that Azula always had a hard time showing any kind of compassionate emotion, that Azula deemed a weakness, but Ty Lee knew still that they existed within her. It was an unshakeable belief.

  
She ran along the beach, deaf to the calming sounds of the waves.

  
Her heartbeat was uproarious, the tears blurring her vision. She didn’t see the forest she was running towards. She didn’t see the sand that made running difficult. All she saw was Azula.  
She saw Azula as a little innocent child. She saw her slipping away, merging into the darkness.

  
It was excruciating.   
  


Ty Lee wanted so desperately to stretch out her hand, trying to grasp the hand of Azula. She needed to pull her into the light again. She just couldn’t let Azula be consumed by the nothingness, leaving truly a shallow shell of a monster.

  
Ty Lee tripped over her feet and fell down on the cold, harsh sand.

  
Azula had chased her out of the house, chasing after her.

  
It was only a matter of time until the Princess would catch up with Ty Lee. Now that she was lying on the ground, her body was trembling. It was inevitable, Azula would get her and _kill_ her.

  
She couldn’t stand up. Her body was paralyzed by the fear, hearing now that Azula halted right before she’d catch her.

  
Azula saw her lying on the ground, shaking miserably. She sobbed and Azula was _disgusted_.

  
She was panting hard, clutching the sand as if it would give her something to hold on. She was desperately trying to not let Azula slip.

  
“Stand up!” Azula screamed, the hate was apparent and made her voice hoarse.

  
“Stand up and fight me! I don’t want to remember you dying in such a pathetic state” She yelled further, “Make this fight worthwhile!”

  
Ty Lee was still facing the Princess with her back, not bothering with the fact that she was incredibly vulnerable and only alive because of the pride of the Princess. She was still sobbing uncontrollably, her body trembling. She clutched at the sand, hoping it would tie her to reality.

  
Azula rushed over to her and Ty Lee instinctually curled together in a ball with haste.

  
The Princess jerked her back, grabbing her shoulder. She was towering above Ty Lee and could see all the agonizing pain and torment in Ty Lee’s eyes. Something within her started to ache. It was a strange sensation. She had felt it before, but she just couldn’t sort out when. It was distressing.

  
Her head swam in hate, all she longed for was a release of all these pent-up _feelings_.

  
Her balled fists were already immensely hot, wanting to explode with fire and fury.  
But nothing but dense fume came out of it.

  
Azula’s rage sobered a bit at the cool night air and the fact that her bitter enemy - her once dearest friend, who deserved to die after she’d betrayed her like that - wept like a baby.

  
“I said stand up dammit!” Azula screamed once again, almost desperate. She was panting, her head spinning from all the emotions clashing within her.

  
She could never kill Ty Lee like this. She was pathetic the way she laid beneath her, not trying to defend herself.

  
Azula didn't want anything but pure hatred reign her actions, neverminding the fact that they once were best friends.

  
She had killed off people without batting an eye. She killed them, leaving them no room for dignity.  
But why was it that Azula wanted to grant her the one thing Ty Lee took away from her so mercilessly?

  
“A-Azula” Ty Lee stuttered, “where are you?” her sobbing intensified.

  
The Princess looked into the eyes of the acrobat with sheer confusion. She didn’t make any sense at all! This question had stopped Azula dead in her tracks.  
The resentment that clouded Azula’s vision subdued slowly. Pictures of her childhood flooded her mind, thoroughly shattering the Princess, knocking her mentally over.

  
She stumbled backwards, clutching her hands at her head. She cursed, she wanted these pictures to disappear. She wasn’t one to show mercy.

  
_Weak_. A distinct voice told her. _You’re so weak. Letting your emotions get the better of you. I taught you better than that_.  
_Pathetic!_

  
“Fuck off, you’re not real!” Azula shouted into the night, pulling Ty Lee out of her trance-like state.

  
“I’m free of you now! I make my own decisions!” Azula clutched harder at her face, totally forgetting about Ty Lee for a moment.

  
The uncontrolled sobs became silent whimpers. The sight brought the acrobat back on her feet with trembling motions. She was still shaken but she took small, feeble steps towards the faltering Princess.

  
Azula’s head jerked upwards when she noticed that Ty Lee had stood up and was coming closer. Her eyes glowing in the dark. Only the moon gave more light to their surroundings.

  
“I know the girl I met when we were younger is still in there” She said with a more determined voice.

  
It was strained by all the sobbing, but Ty Lee just couldn’t give her up.  
It was so natural for her to stand up for the Princess. Defend her when no one else would. Defend her, support her, help her even when she was just about to kill the acrobat.

  
This unshakeable belief of Ty Lee was prevalent and visible in all of her actions.  
They faced each other, Azula staring with an intensity that made the smaller girl shudder.

  
“You’re not making any sense! You’re supposed to face me with dignity! Stand tall when your destiny calls upon you!” Azula panted, a loose strand falling into her face.  
Her words were threatening but she didn’t show any intention to attack.

  
Ty Lee never broke the eye contact, she seemed to have collected herself more now. Standing indeed taller than before.

  
“My destiny already called upon me, days ago, sending me to the Fire Nation.” She began to say, her voice wavering a bit “You always called louder,”

  
Pause.

  
Azula’s eyes widened.   
  


The hatred hadn’t let her hear any word the acrobat spoke in the house, but in that moment, she heard all the words with such clarity.  
Ty Lee saw the look in her Princess’ eyes and knew to seize the chance. It was one of the rare moments of Azula where she was prone to genuine feelings.

  
“Please listen to me, Azula!” the acrobat started again, “I never meant to betray you! I simply protected you from yourself,”

  
Azula had collected herself further as well in the meantime. She was more herself again, she had the control again.

  
A mock laugh came out of her mouth, “Protect me? From myself?” she asked incredulously, “I don’t need any protection, even less so from myself,”

  
“Mai hadn’t had the slightest chance to win this fight with you. She would’ve died, and I know I would’ve died, too.” She said truthfully, taking another brave step towards the Princess.

  
“I would’ve never laid my fingers on you,” Azula encountered her with fierce eyes, trying to prove Ty Lee that she was for once telling the truth, too.

  
“I couldn’t have lived with the fact that you’d killed our best friend, I couldn’t live with you being truly a monster. I never had believed it and I’d just felt that killing Mai would’ve been the end of the Azula I knew for almost all my life” The acrobat was now close to the Princess.

  
A sad smile spread on her face. Her big grey eyes were searching Azula’s.

  
“I _am_ a monster,” Azula growled matter-of-factly, but the growl wasn’t as intimidating anymore.

  
Ty Lee wasn’t fazed much and took all of her courage to reach out and take Azula’s hand into hers. She was determined to show Azula that she wasn’t lying.  
It felt like this would be her only chance to make things right again. To stand up from the dead.

  
She wanted to be alive, alive in Azula’s world – being a part of it again. Being her friend again. There was nothing more she would’ve wished for in that moment.

  
A deep frown appeared on the Princess’ face. She immediately jerked her hand away. But Ty Lee took it again. The scowl and the low growl didn’t intimidate her anymore. It was now or never to the acrobat.

  
“Azula, look me in the eyes and tell me I’m lying” she looked straight into her eyes and hoped to display as much confidence as she could muster up after everything that went down just some minutes ago.

  
Gazing into these golden eyes, however, made the past situation feel like a surreal nightmare, never having happened in this reality. Like a distant memory of someone who wasn’t her.

  
Azula accepted her dare, looking at her with narrowed eyes.

  
Ty Lee moved Azula’s hand above her heart. She had worn a pink laced top. The collarbones and the upper part of her chest was exposed, bare to the hot hands of the Princess.

  
Azula’s eyes narrowed more for a second, her eyebrow arching upwards.

  
“Check my pulse, you’ll know for sure if I lie or not,” Ty Lee said a bit flushed. After all, this was a place of her body which was supposed to be touched by _lovers_ only.

  
Azula nodded silently, signaling her to continue.

  
The Princess didn’t know what to make of this situation.   
  


She was confused beyond her own comprehension. The one moment her hands were aching to utterly destroy. The other she was left deeply intrigued by the smaller girl.

  
She suspected that she’d never had felt such conflict and confusion. She had always known with deadly precision what she wanted.

  
In one moment, every fiber of her body directed her to go in for the kill. Clouding her mind. All she heard was _traitor, traitor, traitor_. All she saw was an engulfing red.

  
She had lost the control.   
  


Letting all the resentment, all the anger, all the hurt wash over her. Letting it soak her. It was so unlike her to let control slip out of her hands.

  
In the other moment she saw Ty Lee pathetically lying on the ground, sobbing, not standing up to defend herself. Instead she just asked where Azula had been. She was in front of her. But Azula thought to have understood now what Ty Lee had meant.

  
The memories of her childhood, and Ty Lee being within them, haunted her. They refrained her from harming the covering girl beneath her.

  
The bond of their friendship was severed the day on the Boiling Rock. But she couldn’t forget about it, no matter how hard she’d tried.  
_They all leave_. That thought had circled countless times in Azula’s head as she sat on the cold concrete of her cell.

  
She turned her focus back to the now quite fearless girl in front of her. The contact with Ty Lee’s chest was foreign to her. It was way too intimate of body contact for Azula’s liking, but she understood the reasoning behind it.

  
Azula felt Ty Lee’s heartbeat pulsating on her palm. It was rather rapid and her heart beat strongly against her chest.

  
“You are _not_ a monster,” Ty Lee started, “you are my best friend” she said it softly, with so much care in her voice. Azula felt the acrobat’s heartbeat remaining the same.   
  


She spoke the truth.

  
Before Azula could interrupt, however, telling her how they clearly are no friends any longer, Ty Lee rose to speak again, “No matter what you say, you still are my best friend.”   
  


An almost bitter laugh escaped Ty Lee’s lips.

  
“I may be dumb at times, but even I know that you obviously don’t feel the same way, but I will not give you up – I will not give _us_ up,”

  
Azula was silent, doubt apparent on her face.

  
Ty Lee continued, “I want to make amends. I want to prove myself worthy to be your friend. Again.”

  
She snorted, “Trust is for fools. Look what it brought me!”

  
“I’ve already accepted that you probably won’t ever trust me fully again, but I will do whatever it takes anyways." Ty Lee was grinning now, so very relieved that the situation wasn’t life threatening anymore and that Azula really had heard her out.

  
“Why even care, Ty Lee? It’s a lost cause. I’m here because I have to be, not because I want to play little perfect world with you,” Azula was now honestly intrigued and also a bit pissed off by this innocent optimism. She just couldn’t figure out this girl, who was already vibrant with hope again.

  
Ty Lee stared deeply into her eyes, smiling, “I told you, Princess. You’re my best friend. And I will fight for you the same way I fought for Mai,” Azula checked her heartbeat again. It was true again.

  
Hearing all these words out of Ty Lee’s mouth was oddly comforting. Azula wanted to believe Ty Lee. It was by no means able to mend all of the wounds she had left the Princess with, but it was pleasant, nonetheless.

  
Azula pulled her hand away, but not before Ty Lee gave it an affectionate squeeze. The big grey eyes never left her piercing golden ones. The smaller girl eyes held so much hope within them, it made Azula feel weird again.

  
“I’m not one to show mercy,” The Princess stated, devoid of any emotion, but it felt weak somehow. A sorry excuse to maintain the tough, cold exterior.   
  


But Azula cared for Ty Lee, had cared at least. It was an open secret. Still she would’ve never admitted it, since it would only make her appear weak – almost human. But still there were remnants of that caring within her, pushing her.

  
“You just showed me mercy, Azula.” Ty Lee replied gently. “You’ve had a dozen chances to kill me tonight. But you never did.”

  
Azula groaned. Ty Lee was right, there was no going back.   
  


She somehow couldn't kill Ty Lee, no matter how engulfing the blind rage was at times. She was powerless when it came to her and it made her despise herself for this humanly weakness.

  
Azula sighed.

  
“I might as well offer you a truce then” Azula said without thinking.

  
She held her hand out so that they could seal the deal.

  
But instead taking the hand Ty Lee went in and hugged her tightly. Azula was shocked for a moment, not having anticipated that, but knowing that she should have.  
The warmth of Ty Lee was alien to her. It’s been forever since she’d felt something similar. It was suspect to Azula and she wanted to shake it off, shake Ty Lee off. But her body was stiff, not moving one inch.

  
Ty Lee was beaming, she wrapped her arms around the Princess’ neck.   
  


She felt like this would be a dream. She had a chance, and it was more than she had honestly hoped for.

  
“Don’t delude yourself, Ty Lee. It’s a truce – you’re by no means forgiven.” Azula’s arms were limb to her side, her head on the smaller girl’s shoulder. Telling Ty Lee that should’ve dampen her mood instantly, but instead she hugged the Princess even more.

  
It was a rather long embrace and after a while Azula lifted her hands and placed them tentatively on her small back.

  
Ty Lee was startled by this seemingly insignificant action, but to her it meant so much more.   
  


“I promise you to make it count,” Ty Lee whispered in Azula’s ear, her breath almost tickling her ear.

  
Ty Lee began to loosen the embrace, releasing Azula from the long-lasting body contact. But before Ty Lee broke off the body contact completely, she held onto the shoulders of the Princess, going on her tiptoes and went in to actually _kiss_ Azula on the cheek.

  
Azula was too stunned to react for a moment and Ty Lee simply giggled in her known childish manner. It was the first time the Ty Lee she knew ever since was surfacing again.

  
“W-Wh- ..?” Azula tried to find coherent words but couldn’t seem to find any.

  
Ty Lee didn’t care how much Azula disliked these kinds of display of affection, she was simply too happy to have a truce with her.

  
Ty Lee started to walk towards her home again, it was cold after all, even though she didn’t notice it only now.  
Azula quickly recovered and started to walk back as well.

  
“Never do that again,” Azula demanded, walking behind Ty Lee. But she just turned around and started to giggle again, “As you wish, your Highness.”


	5. Chapter 5

  
When Ty Lee awoke and went into the kitchen, she drowsily noticed that Azula was up before her.   
Seeing Azula up that early wasn’t something to be surprised about.   
It was just like that time when they’ve been on exciting adventures. Azula used to rise with the sun, and it seemed like she didn’t drop this habit of hers.   
Memories of her, Azula und Mai chasing after the Avatar, sleeping countless times in provisional tents, sweetened her morning. Her memories might be jagged, many bad things had happened after all, but she didn’t care right now.  
Ty Lee yawned and said her good morning to Azula with a sleepy grin. She never really thought about Azula’s morning routine but somehow it struck her as something interesting now.   
She looked over to her. The Princess morning attire consisted of her red silk robe tightly wrapped around her thin waist. Her hair was loosely tied back in a ponytail, only leaving two strands complimenting idly her striking features.   
She was occupying her usual place at the table, staring out of the window again.   
“Would you like to drink some tea, too, Azula?” the smaller girl asked while she routinely pulled a tea kettle out of a shelf and placed it on the stove.   
Azula didn’t particularly liked tea but she liked the warm sensation that spread from her throat through her body.   
“Black tea will do fine,” she replied with a disinterested tone in her voice.   
“Black tea it is then,” Ty Lee grinned and hummed as she pulled out a pack of black tea out of another shelf.   
Azula seemed to be in a rather bad mood. Ty Lee figured it must’ve been because she soon had to dress like Earth Kingdom.   
It didn’t dampen Ty Lee’s mood though. She was in high spirits and looked forward to training. Right now, she was only mildly concerned about the reciprocation of the Kyoshi Warriors by Azula.   
She also tried to not let the past night get to her, all she wanted to remember was the truce Azula had offered and granted her. Therefore, she pushed the unpleasant memories into a hidden corner of her mind.  
“Did you sleep well and since when are you up already?” Ty Lee asked, genuinely interested since the bad mood emitting from the Princess could also be caused by lack of sleep.   
Azula was annoyed. Gone was the peaceful and quiet morning she had until the bubbly girl decided to show up.   
“So noisy,” Azula said a bit irritated, “just fix us some breakfast.”  
The acrobat was already preparing some ingredients when Azula demanded breakfast.   
She wasn’t bothered by the ever-commanding tone of the Princess, how _please_ and _thank you_ didn’t seem to exist within Azula’s sphere.   
She was used to it and knew it was simply Azula’s nature to behave the way she did.   
She’s a Princess after all – used to servants fulfilling every wish of their master. The acrobat certainly wasn’t her servant, but most of the times she liked to submit to the whims of Azula. Doing what any good friend would do.  
While she cracked an egg from a Possum Chicken into a pan, she tried once again to strike up a light conversation with the cold Princess.  
“Are you nervous about today?” she put the shell away into the trash, heightening the heat of the stove, “There will be many new people you’ll meet,”  
“I’m _never_ nervous,” she hissed, offended by Ty Lee assuming something as petty as meeting people who might aid her with her future schemes to be unnerving.   
In fact, Azula was _almost_ looking forward to be meeting the rest of the trash group.   
Maybe there would be someone useful in there.  
Ty Lee sighed, being a bit disheartened for a moment.   
Azula’s been so far a tough nut to crack as always and she probably wouldn’t talk much to her, so she decided to fill the air with her own chattering.   
While plating the breakfast and tea in front of Azula, she talked about how she was looking forward to dress together for today. How it was just like the time they had invaded the impregnable city Ba Sing Se.   
Azula fairly listened, her attention only caught by the mentioning of her most honorable conquest.   
For the first time that morning a smirk appeared on the Princess’ face.   
“The impossible was done under my command,” these words were loaded with pride and Azula’s contribution to her conversation made Ty Lee happy.   
Ty Lee’s pride in their accomplishments shone through as well, “Your mastermind was able to do what your old uncle wasn’t able to, even though he had some 40 years more experience.” A toothy grin appeared on Ty Lee’s face and delight sparkled in her eyes.   
Even though it wasn’t Azula alone but Mai and Ty Lee herself as well, she was incredibly proud and Azula could see it right away.   
“One day an exploding Supernova will temporarily blind the world, unhinge it and recreate a new era – a phoenix rising from the ashes at last,” Azula was smugly talking in riddles and Ty Lee didn’t understand a single word.   
“What is a supernova, Azula?” She asked with big eyes, slightly tilting her head.   
Azula smirked and simply answered, “You will know when you see one,”  
Ty Lee was still as clueless as before, but she also knew that they needed to get ready.   
She stood up from the table, collecting their plates and placing them in the small sink in the kitchen.   
“Suki gave me your uniform yesterday,” the smaller girl began as she started doing the dishes.   
“It’s been some time since you last wore it. So, if you’d like to, I could lend you a hand,” she turned her head to Azula.   
She saw that Azula was displeased and had a hard time getting comfortable with the idea of wearing the uniform of Kyoshi Island for good.  
“I don’t got much of a choice, do I?” She said but she seemed not too angry about it.   
Ty Lee gave her a soft smile, knowing that it’s hard on the proud Princess.   
Azula saw that smile and frowned in response.   
She wasn’t used to seeing such a gentle smile directed towards her.   
A pressing need to _destroy_ that look on Ty Lee’s face rose within the Princess, but before she could act on it the other girl went into another room.  
The acrobat strode into her bedroom, taking her friend’s uniform with her and handed it over.   
When Ty Lee wouldn’t move and continued to stare at the Princess expectantly, Azula growled in a low tone, “I still know how to put on that piece of trash, but I can’t do the make-up myself”   
Ty Lee beamed, “Don’t worry, just tell me when you’re done. I’ll be in my bedroom,”  
And with that they both started dressing up in separate rooms, Ty Lee being faster since she’s been doing it almost every day for the last 7 months.   
She started applying the warrior paint and finished her braid up perfectly. Glancing one last time into the mirror she was content with the way she looked.   
She went back into the living room/kitchen and saw that Azula finished dressing, too.  
All she needed to have done was her make-up and her hair.   
Azula sat on her usual place, waiting, and without saying anything further, Ty Lee began opening her ponytail, letting all of her hair flow free.  
The swift motion of her hair blew a tiny breeze into Ty Lee’s direction, hitting her sense of smell with a sweet scent.  
“You smell really good, Azula” Ty Lee said thoughtlessly, putting her hair in a higher, stricter bun, leaving out two strands. She relished the scent, it felt so _new_ but at the same time it evoked a reminiscence of the past that actually should have been long buried.  
The smaller girl noticed that Azula didn’t feel as tense as she’d been yesterday, and it felt like a small success already. It really encouraged her hope to someday be real friends again.  
“Well, I bathe – must be good for something” Azula answered dryly, feeling a bit off at Ty Lee’s remark.   
The acrobat gathered the make-up and moved in front of Azula. She bent down to be on eyelevel, starting to generously apply the white paint.   
The Princess was irritated. She knew they had a truce now, but she shouldn’t feel so _undisturbed_ by it.   
It was almost as if all of her rage towards Ty Lee was consumed by the events of last night. She should feel better about it than she did.   
All this pent-up rage would’ve done more harm than it’d do her any good in her precarious situation. But Ty Lee was still a _traitor_.  
 _She can’t be trusted_ , Azula thought, reminding herself again that the fading anger won’t change the way she felt about her long-lost _friend_.  
Azula put her mind off of that unnecessary topic.   
There were more pressing matters that needed thinking.

~~~

“Everyone, quiet please” Suki announced when all of them were gathered in the training room.   
The Warriors normally weren’t as chatty as they’ve been that morning, but a new announcement regarding Ozai’s trial had been circulating around the Island as of recently.   
The date of the trial had been set in two months’ time.   
It was a surprise, but the Earth Kingdom was really pushy to lay this matter at rest as fast and as soon as possible.   
The new general of the Earth Kingdom Army, Sun Bin, was also very vocal about the trial of Azula, complaining about the little goodwill coming from the Fire Nation. The political relations between the both largest Nations in the whole world were strained to say the least.  
What Kyoshi Island was yet to discover was the missing of the Fire Nation’s Princess Azula.   
It was in favor of Azula to not be introduced to the elite group on the same day her disappearance had been declared.   
After all the attention laid on Suki, she rose to speak again.  
“Today another elite member will be introduced into our honorable group,”   
She gave way to and let Azula step into the center of their attention.   
Ty Lee watched the scene from the sideline, carefully gauging Azula’s actions.  
She was nervous, but she knew that Azula would keep her head in this situation.   
She could only fathom how the insides of Azula probably looked like. But in Ty Lee’s eyes Azula was excelling again.  
When Azula felt all the eyes on her, she bowed down, saying as evenly as she could,   
“I’m Katsumi. I’m very honored to be introduced into this elite order of Warriors.”   
Azula’s eyes were closed and she was bowing throughout the whole time introducing herself.  
Ty Lee was watching the scene now in astonishment. She knew that the Princess was quick to adapt to situations which would eventually benefit her but seeing her false devotion to the cause made her feel bizarre.   
It was something she’d never seen to this extent before and it just felt _wrong_ seeing Azula like this.   
Even though she knew this was all just a charade to strengthen her disguise – ‘cause who would believe someone saying that Princes Azula was allegedly obediently serving the Kyoshi inhabitants? – her submissive behavior was going against the laws of nature in Ty Lee’s eyes.  
Azula was the epitome of dominance and authority and within the course of knowing Azula, Ty Lee came to be incredibly proud of that fact.   
The acrobat was the total opposite to the Princess.  
They were day and night, colliding opposites, and maybe that was exactly the reason she was drawn to Azula like a moth to a flame.   
She liked being guided and she eventually had blindly trusted Azula to guide her into the right direction.   
She even more liked that being in the presence of someone so special, so powerful and talented made her feel exceptionally special as well. That was probably another reason why Ty Lee couldn’t really hate her for ripping her out of the circus.   
Suki stepped up into the center again when Azula straightened herself and began to bow simultaneously with all of the others to welcome Azula into their group.   
Everyone was bowing for a moment, eyes closed as well, except for Ty Lee.   
She was so taken by the scene, that she hastily bowed after she realized what she was supposed to do.   
Azula had noticed of course, and even though thick make-up smothered the Princess’ face, she saw the questioning raised eyebrow before she, too, bowed down to her secret Princess.  
After the welcoming gesture, the few members of the Kyoshi Warriors one by one introduced themselves to Azula. Only one girl struck Azula as someone who might be useful.   
Ty Lee was assigned to be her “bigger sister”, which didn’t come as a surprise to the royalty. It was only logical to task the smaller girl to watch over her. Not that she needed someone watching over her like she’d be some little brat.

Azula had been thinking a lot.   
Ever since she came back to her senses after her dishonoring defeat, all she ever did was thinking.   
Not that there was much else to do in this spiritsforsaken cell. Even though minor changes had been done to make her stay more pleasant, nothing could’ve changed the fact that she had been trapped in a cage like an animal. A roaring beast, scorching with the desire to break free, to claim what was hers all along.   
Instead of violently breaking free she kept her cool and started thinking.   
Thinking, analyzing, dissecting her steps that eventually led to her downfall.   
She was a genius with an undeniable intellect, but still she just couldn’t solve the puzzle that was her descending, losing her grip on fate.   
The day of Sozin’s comet was supposed to be the day she would’ve been crowed Fire Lord, ruling the entire world next to her father. It was her destiny and the comet had given her unfathomable powers and still… she _lost_.   
She was running in circles for months and she always ended up in that rathole of a rock.   
It led her to the Fire Nation’s most feared prison – the Boiling Rock.   
She _knew_ that this was the point when the beginning of her very own end had begun. But she wouldn’t acknowledge it, she didn’t want to accredit _them_ such power over her.   
Since the steps to her downfall wouldn’t guide the way leading to her rising, she dropped the matter entirely, thinking of the ultimate scheme to give her the one and only thing she was born for and she would die for.  
And here she was next to Ty Lee walking through the village, thinking about the invisible powers the smaller girl obliviously held and how to restore balance.   
Knowing at last that trying to kill her was futile and immensely unwise in her position frustrated her to no ends. She groaned inwardly.  
They walked through the crowded market and Azula observed bitterly how many inhabitants happily greeted Ty Lee, exchanged small talk and occasionally asked Ty Lee about the new face in town.   
Azula felt the familiar pang of jealousy at the sight of people swarming to the happy Ty Lee, but she was quick to dismiss it. There was no room for that nonsense in her head right now.   
They were almost past the big market in the central of the island when yet another older woman engaged Ty Lee in a conversation.   
Azula already zoned them out, irritated to the core by all the interruptions. She wanted this tour to finally end and start the training.   
She was aching for some physical exertion and even though she knew she couldn’t firebend at all, it would be the next best thing after having to sit still for so long.   
Before she could start to dwell on the fact that she couldn’t firebend whenever she wanted for an uncertain period of time, a touch on her hand brought her back to the present moment.   
Her first instinct was to pull away.   
She wanted to sneer at the person who dared to touch her so casually like this, but she realized in time that it was just the old granny.   
She suppressed her want to jerk her hand away since this old woman was one of the inhabitants she was supposed to serve and protect and, in addition, grant a certain degree of approachability.   
“I haven’t expected a new face here” the granny began talking to Azula still touching her hand. “What is your name, child?”  
Azula slowly but surely retreated her hand from the dry grip of the woman in front of her. She saw Ty Lee eyeing her with a rather nervous look.   
The Princess replied with a faint fake smile, “I’m Katsumi.”   
The granny began to laugh, “You certainly aren’t very talkative, are you?”   
Azula’s fist was itching and she so wanted to satisfy that itch. But she knew how to restrain herself and control her outer features, not letting anyone in on how she really felt.   
“I’m glad you’re helping to protect our beloved Island, and I’m even more glad that you’ll help rebuild it” the granny was now fully beaming, turning to Ty Lee.  
“I’m proud of you, now go. I don’t want to hinder you from your duty” she gushed with a raspy voice.   
Ty Lee bowed down but Azula only nodded stiffly.   
After they were out of earshot, Ty Lee started with a smile, “Sorry about that, there are many inhabitants often coming onto us while on duty,”  
The Princess only shrugged in response, being bothered by something else.   
“Do you think I’m stupid, Ty Lee?” she asked with a hint of impatience.   
The smaller girl was taken by surprise. Unsure of what to make out of it and not wanting to anger the Princess, she offered with a big oblivious grin “No, of course not. You’re the most intelligent person I’ve ever met!”   
“Then why are you always eyeing me nervously whenever I’m interacting with people? Do you really think I would snap that easily?”   
They were still walking towards the small port. Ty Lee mustered Azula, she seemed fairly collected, hands clasped behind her back – making her appear older and wiser.   
“It’s just... I know it must be hard on you, and I still don’t really know _how_ you really are. You are all tough exterior and collected, but I just… uh” Ty Lee rambled on and stopped herself when she saw Azula’s deep scowl.   
Ty Lee loved to talk about feelings but feelings to Azula were something completely alien.   
Ty Lee was glad that she wore this much make-up covering the reddening of her cheeks out of embarrassment.   
They arrived at the port and they were now facing each other.   
Ty Lee expected to be scolded for such a foolish assumption, but instead the Princess replied in a rather amused voice, “So, you want me to talk about my feelings, is that correct?”   
Ty Lee slowly nodded, uncertain if this was a trap.   
“You want me to talk about my time in captivity, maybe even my _insanity_?” she emphasized the word insanity and looked even more intensely into Ty Lee’s eyes.   
Ty Lee disliked that intense stare, it made her want to hide beneath the farthest stone possible. But there was no escaping it and she wasn’t entirely sure if Azula was tricking her, but nonetheless the hope outweighed her doubts and she started to beam with an answer.   
“Yes, Az- Katsumi! I would really love to hear all about it!”  
For a split moment Azula’s eyes widened as Ty Lee was almost speaking out her real name. She would definitely _talk_ to her about it later on.   
The intense stare didn’t waver and the Princess waited a heartbeat before she answered, all amusement long gone.   
“Not even you should be that stupid. Why out of all people would I talk to _you_ about it?” she remarked with a freezing coldness.   
Ty Lee knew she shouldn’t get her hopes up, that the Princess was emotionally unavailable, but that really _hurt_.   
Her shoulders slumped down significantly, and she only replied, “Of course, I should’ve known better,” Ty Lee chuckled dryly, not looking into Azula’s eyes but on the ground, her voice even, without any strength.   
“Let’s go, I will show you the port and after that the tour is done and we will return to the others,” she couldn’t even muster up a slight grin anymore.

~~~

“Azula, come on, you were amazing!” Ty Lee gushed, trying to calm down the Princess.   
They just came home from their first day together at the Kyoshi Warriors.  
Right when they entered Ty Lee’s house, Azula began to frantically throw the layers of the uniform through the room.   
When she was done and standing only in her breast binders and her underwear, almost every layer of the uniform was scattered throughout the house.   
The robe was lazily hanging from the table, one glove on a chair, the other thrown into a corner of the livingroom.   
Before Ty Lee could interject again, telling her that she was great at training and certainly didn’t fail, Azula rushed into the bathroom and started to violently scrub off the obnoxious paint on her face.   
She looked up and saw herself in the mirror hanging over the sink in the bathroom.   
_Failure_ , her reflection seemed to be talking to her.   
_Monster_ , she wasn’t the only one the mirror reflected.  
 _No, no! I am stronger than this_! Azula thought, but before she could really think again, thousands of tiny pieces littered the floor and a hot stream of blood traveled down her hand.   
At the clattering sound coming from the bathroom, Ty Lee rushed to the scene and shrieked when she saw the blood and all the shattered fragments that once were a mirror.  
“What happened, Azula?” Ty Lee was very concerned, taking a look at the trembling hand of the Princess in front of her.   
“I must’ve slipped” she offered with a weak smirk, trying to look collected and composed while a churning storm desperately wanted to break free inside her.   
It was a weak excuse, one Ty Lee easily could see through, but for once the girl had enough tact to not probe any further.  
She didn’t want _this_. She didn’t want to be undignified, left without a choice.   
She wanted to openly wear the colors of her beloved nation, subjugate those who did her wrong. Those who took away everything she was, and she knew she would always be.   
A General, a Strategist, a Princess, an Empress – born to rule, not to be ruled.  
Ty Lee searched through several drawers when she found a first aid kit.  
“Come on, sit down. I will patch you up,” Ty Lee said softly, ushering her to sit down on the tub.   
For once, the Princess silently did as she was told. Her mind was elsewhere anyways.  
The contortionist knelt in front of her and began to carefully pick out the tiny pieces out of Azula’s fist with a tweezer.   
For a split moment, Ty Lee was getting aware of the rather intimate scene that was happening right in front of her.   
Azula was barely clothed and Ty Lee knelt before her naked, smooth legs.  
She was very close to her, touching her hand.   
She shook her head inwardly, this was certainly not a moment to question _anything_.   
The kneeling girl came to the conclusion that there was nothing to question about and laid the matter off of her mind.   
Ty Lee focused on the task at hand again and squirmed whenever she pulled out the fragments, knowing it must be a really uncomfortable kind of hurt, but Azula kept a straight face throughout the whole process.   
The smaller girl was very concentrated as she applied an anti-inflammatory paste on the open wounds and began bandaging it up when she was done.   
Her big grey eyes met the cold amber ones.   
“You’re good to go” she smiled in approval.  
But Ty Lee didn’t seem to be moving any time soon and so was Azula.   
Azula observed Ty Lee kneeling in front of her. It was a rather weird position she thought.   
The acrobat gently caressed the bandage, she seemed engrossed in thoughts.   
Azula allowed the touch, she just couldn’t care less at that moment.  
“You used to love mirrors. The vanity mirror in your chambers was _huge_ ,” she chuckled at the exceptionally big size of it.   
“Wh-Why is it...?” she couldn’t seem to find a fitting question to articulate her thoughts.   
Her eyes were searching Azula’s, silently pleading for her to just tell her.   
But Azula just continued to stare into her eyes, hiding any revealing emotions.  
“What _happened_?” Ty Lee sighed inwardly, knowing that it’s just such a weak question for such a seemingly deep issue.   
“I _failed_ , that’s what happened. I was just angry,” Azula lied easily, wanting to avert her gaze because she felt even more defeated now that she’d given in yet again into another one of her hallucinations.   
She’d made Zuko believe that they had disappeared completely, helping her case in seeming sane enough to be released out of prison. Little did she know she was going from one prison into another.   
“You were great today! Everyone was really impressed,” Ty Lee tried to cheer her up, cautiously cupping both of her hands now. She squeezed the unharmed one, trying to emphasize her encouraging.   
“It wasn’t perfect. Anything less than perfect is failure,” she spat, jerking her hands out of Ty Lee’s.   
She stood up abruptly, remembering that she was in fact half naked and that she needed to get dressed – or at least pull over a robe.  
Ty Lee still knelt in front of the tub, turning her head to the leaving Princess. She sighed.  
“You’ve been out of training for months and today you’ve learnt a totally different style in combat,” She followed her into the living room, where the Princess pulled over her robe and started to angrily comb through her hair.   
“It’s only natural to not be perfect at the first try! But that doesn’t mean that _you_ aren’t perfect,” She was trying really hard to convince Azula that she was great, but the last part was easy – it was simply true.   
Azula started to laugh incredulously as she was tying her hair back in a rather lazy bun.  
When she was done, she looked at Ty Lee with an expression as if the acrobat just said the dumbest thing ever in history.   
“ _Liar_ ,” she hissed it, shortly and sharply.   
Ty Lee came closer and saw Azula’s expression, the way her eyes reflected the last rays of the evening sun.   
It was a faint sparkle, but Ty Lee gasped inwardly when she realized that beneath all the thick layers the Princess hid her heart, her emotions shone weakly through.   
She seized the moment.   
“Do you remember that time on Ember Island when we were invited to that party?” she asked, smiling at the memory already.  
Azula nodded, she wasn’t one to forget anything. Her mind was constantly working, constantly processing the signals emitted from her immediate environment.   
“You asked for my advice on boys and flirting,” Ty Lee continued.   
Azula narrowed her eyes slightly, not certain where this was supposed to go.   
“Get to the point already” her patience grew thin.   
“I told you that you are the most beautiful, smartest, perfect girl in the world. And I really meant what I said. And then everything happened so fast at the Boiling Rock. Mai’s and mine incarceration. But even now, after everything that happened, everything you said to me. I still believe so,” Ty Lee said earnestly, she’d kind of expected to see at least some kind of effect on Azula’s face, but it was rather blank. She didn’t say anything just waited for Ty Lee to finally get to the point.  
The acrobat grew a bit uncertain at her little speech, since she thought the sparkle of emotion in her eyes would make her _react_ at least.  
“Well… my point is, I once helped you and I can help you again. I trained this kind of combat technique for several months and I think it’ll help you excel again. I will show you how perfect you are” she offered with a shy grin, batting her long eyelashes.   
“Your advice on flirting was poor as the results were less pleasing. So, no. I don’t need your help. And now leave me alone, I need to rest until I have to attend this poor excuse of a ceremony tonight,” Azula waved her off coldly, completely untaken by all the words that came from Ty Lee’s heart.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AO3 was giving me a real hard time with this chapter. I'm unable to display the chapter as I intended.  
> Unfortunately, the italics didn't work in the second half of the story, so I had to turn them bold.  
> Somehow I can't insert the picture to this chapter, so for all of those who are interested: https://www.deviantart.com/onepiecerin/art/Ablaze-Chapter-6-779625017?ga_submit_new=10%3A1546584540

Red carpet was rolled out immediately, even before she could take her first steps on Fire Nation territory again. The Fire insignia was risen to the sky, high and mighty on the flags.   
It felt like half the population of the Fire Nation assembled just to welcome her. Just to catch a glimpse at the conqueror of Ba Sing Se.   
Ostentatious music could be heard throughout Capital City, each step she had taken was accompanied by uncontrolled cheering. Everyone was looking up to _the_ Crown Princess of the Fire Nation.   
It was all in her honor. It was all because _she_ returned to the Fire Nation. Successfully, of course.   
The pride the people held in their hearts for the Princess was overflowing. People fainted upon seeing her, men and women alike. She never wanted these moments to end. Wanted to live in them forever.   
She had considered that day one of the best of her entire life.   
That was the way she wanted to be welcomed. That was the way she wanted to be celebrated. That was the way she was supposed to be celebrated.  
But the wholehearted cheering never came. The swooning, the screams, the pompous music were all long casted shadows by her past, swirling around in her head like an annoying elephant-mosquito.  
The pride wasn’t swelling in her chest. Instead a nauseous feeling was churning in the pits of her stomach, and with each passing minute the feeling grew, spreading through her veins in place of the fire that should have flown through them.   
This pity party of ceremony was just as she’d imagined it, and the only thing that was more pressing than this sickening feeling was the frustration and humiliation she felt, standing on a little platform in the center of the village.   
For anybody else this would’ve been a happy moment, Azula supposed. But by the standards of a Princess this was downright poor, and worst of all it was under the flag of the wrong nation.  
The Warriors of Kyoshi are of good reputation and well respected after all, much to the Princess’ dismay.   
She let out a mock laugh inwardly, remembering how she had defeated almost the whole group on her own without great difficulties. It’d lifted her mood for a second, but it wasn’t a good enough thought to make her endure this whole ordeal better.  
Between burned houses, pebbles and stones the Kyoshi Warrior performed a ceremonial dance to welcome the new member into their elite group.   
The moves were fluid, the faces controlled. She had never seen Ty Lee this concentrated, she almost looked decent in the absence of all the bubbliness which plastered her face most of the time.  
The villagers who had gathered to witness this ceremony, cheered from the sidelines.   
They smiled and look relieved, knowing another pair of hands will help rebuild this village. Another pair of hands will help to erase the last traces of the Fire Nation’s existence, of its influence and impact on the Island in the war.   
Pathetic. They were all so utterly and hopelessly pathetic, Azula thought.   
The churning within her stomach intensified and she knew she needed to get a grip on herself.   
Needing to distract herself, she laid her gaze upon Ty Lee, observing her every move, her every expression.   
She saw the tiny droplet of sweat forming on her forehead, as she continued to move simultaneously with the others. They all looked alike, save for the different hairdos.   
Azula began to wonder as to why exactly Ty Lee had chosen this path.   
Not that she cared, but it intrigued her somewhat, since Ty Lee had so desperately wanted to break free from being a matched set, and now the only real distinction was made through _hairstyle_. It’s a rather irrational decision but Ty Lee wasn’t known to be smart.   
The acrobat had noticed her stare and almost stumbled when she’d caught her eye.   
Azula was amused by the effects she certainly still held and seemed to have never lost.   
After the dance was done and she was handed over her very own fan in a ceremonial manner, time passed quickly to Azula’s liking.   
At the end of the ceremony some food and drinks were handed out and they were all gathered, the warriors and villagers lightly conversing, and those who weren’t scared away by her natural intimidating demeanor even tried to try to strike up a conversation with the newcomer.   
Azula was always quick to dismiss them, showing them politely that she wasn’t very talkative.   
The only good thing about this evening was her chance to chat with this one girl.   
Nami was the name of the warrior that struck her as someone who might be useful in the future.   
She wouldn’t hold her breath, but there was something to her and she didn’t want to waste her time.  
“That was a very neat dance. Will I need to learn it, too?” Azula set her mind to it and knew she sounded genuinely friendly. She needed an ally after all.   
Nami seemed surprised for a moment, Azula was very reserved and hadn’t really initiated a conversation with anyone yet.   
“Thank you, Katsumi. Yes, you will have to, but not right away,” Nami smiled at her. Her pulled back hair almost seemed orange in the flickering lights of the surrounding torches.  
She seemed rather young but must’ve been around 20, Azula supposed.  
“It’s not like we get newcomers that often,” she continued with a nervous chuckle.   
Her presence wasn’t entirely unpleasant, and her voice was lower – lower than Ty Lee’ – and that was very welcomed by the Princess.   
It was calm, while Ty Lee’s was unnerving the way she sometimes spoke in such a high-pitched voice. Why was she comparing the two of them anyway?   
_Ty Lee is everywhere_ , Azula thought and groaned out of frustration inwardly.  
She refocused on the task to be a good smalltalker.  
There were only a few things Azula wasn’t good in, small talk or overall situations that required her to understand the complicated aspects of social interactions being one of them. But whenever it served a higher purpose it was rolling off her tongue easier than anticipated.   
She would turn Nami into her ally, and whenever the Princess had set her mind on something, she was hellbent on archiving it.

~~~

The ceremony found its end shortly after Azula tried to secretly find her first ally on an Island, which was cramped with actual enemies.   
The Princess, while in disguise with another name and another personality, knew that she had inflicted some reactions within Nami.   
Despite the age gap of 6 years – Azula found out that Nami was in fact 21 – Nami had seemed somehow a bit intimidated.   
Seeing her fidgeting nervously in her _friendly_ presence, even without her royal exterior and her open viciousness, had lessened the nauseating feeling greatly, showing Azula that she may had been choiceless then, but it would only be a matter of time until things fell into place in her favor.   
All she had to focus on was to carefully attach strings to the ones she deemed important for her to succeed, and when she’d be done, they would bend and break to her will.   
Azula strove for perfection, for absolute control. She wanted nothing less, and she wouldn’t stop until she got what she wanted.   
Zuko was a fool for letting her go, but sooner or later he would face the devastating consequences of his decision.   
In Azula’s eyes his fate as the Fire Lord was sealed the day she had set out to Kyoshi Island, and while the world thought that the fate of the Princess of the Fire Nation was sealed as well, they would all watch in utter terror when Azula would finish plotting her victory over the world and rise like the Phoenix her father once had thought to be, and they would all bow down in absolute horror and fear.  
“Are you sick, Azula?” Ty Lee asked her while they were on their way back home. They were currently going through a sparse forest, the moon their only source of light. The acrobat pushed herself into Azula’s way, stopping her.  
Ty Lee pulled her out of her thoughts with this strange question.  
“Sick of this Island already,” Azula answered irritated, feeling deflated as she was brought back to the present moment. She wanted to relish the thought of becoming a true Phoenix King longer, something not even her father was able to.  
“There was something weird on your face. I thought to have seen an actual smile on your face, but I must’ve mistaken,” Ty Lee pointed at her face to emphasize the place where exactly she’d seen the smile.   
“Obviously,” she rolled her eyes, but didn’t care that she let her thoughts influence her expression. It was just Ty Lee. She was as dense as a brick.   
“Now, move” she said but it lacked the usual commanding tone.   
“I saw you talking to Nami tonight, I was really surprised to see you initiate a conversation,” Ty Lee didn’t move out of her way.   
“That’s none of your business. But if you’re so eager to know, I am stuck here, so I might as well get comfortable,” Azula replied with disinterest, shoving Ty Lee lightly out of her way.   
It could’ve been considered tender or even affectionate, but Azula refused to acknowledge the fact that she’d shown any resemblance to affection, thinking that she was simply too exhausted by the events of the day to invest any further strength into this nonsense.  
Ty Lee was quick to follow Azula.   
“Why didn’t you talk to Katami or, or…” Ty Lee said hastily, she didn’t really know why it had mattered and why she was so eager about it.   
She had had a close eye on Azula the whole night, always looking out for signs where Azula might get too hot tempered, but no such incident happened.   
Instead she'd watched Azula actually going and initiating a conversation. That was madness! She had known Azula long enough to know that she’d never done such thing in a social gathering – at least not without a proper prep talk. She was as socially competent as a stick. So why Nami? What was so special about that girl?  
Azula abruptly turned around and Ty Lee bumped head on into the Princess.   
“Oops, sorry,” Ty Lee sheepishly said, one hand scratching her neck while taking a step back. She knew she was provoking Azula a lot, the impatience to put up with this any longer clear on the Princess’ face. But somehow the contortionist couldn’t stop herself.   
Surprisingly Azula didn’t lash out on her for being so clumsy, instead she only sighed, “Ty Lee, what exactly is your problem?”  
“You went out of your way to befriend Nami, getting comfortable but you didn’t try the slightest to get comfortable with _me_!”, she was pouting and looked like a spoiled child whose ice cream had been taken away from them.  
“Whenever I think you couldn’t be more stupid, you go out of your way to prove me wrong yet again,” the mocking was bubbling over and Azula started to smirk, her eyes reflecting the moonlight in a cold shade of gold.  
“Stop calling me stupid! I’m not stupid!” She shrieked and it surprised Azula to see Ty Lee acting this way towards the Princess.   
“You clearly are if you honestly thought _I_ would make moves to rekindle our friendship, that I would forget and forgive you just like that” Azula couldn’t believe it.  
“Yes, Azula, I _betrayed_ you! I did it for _you _, for Mai, for _me_. If you weren’t so self-absorbed you would see my reasoning. Agni forbid you try to understand me!” Hot tears streamed down the acrobat’s face, she was panting, and she found herself in yet another dramatic moment with the Princess.   
She’d never defied Azula like that verbally. She’d never stood up for herself that way before and it was exhilarating albeit terrifying.   
“How **dare** you talk to me like that?” Azula felt the increased flow of chi running through her body, wanting to be set free.   
She was the one who was left behind broken and yet Azula was supposed to try to understand **her**?  
At that the before tall standing Ty Lee shrunk. Azula’s voice was so powerful and intimidating, she didn’t forfeit any of those traits in captivity.   
Her body reacted without her consent, starting to tremble, her legs gave in remembering what had happened the last time they got into such a heated situation.   
Azula was angry and she saw the immediate effects she had on Ty Lee.   
It filled her with the rush of power she was so addicted to. Unfortunately, it was only for a fleeting moment.  
She looked into these big grey eyes, saw the tears, saw the fear – the emotion she’d actually always wanted to see in the people she was surrounding– but this time it didn’t resonate well. She felt a weird feeling that made her want to appease. **Guilt**.   
**Ugh** , she cursed inwardly.   
Ty Lee had been the only person ever to elicit such emotion.   
Shrunken on the ground, the smaller girl couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. Only Azula had the power to literally bring her down without touching her.   
It was only when Azula had done something entirely unexpected that the tears stared to subdue and gave way to deep astonishment. The Princess held out her hand and waited for Ty Lee to grab it. Ty Lee looked at her with a puzzled expression, unable to determine if the cruel Princess was yet again playing her.   
The acrobat was sure to find the reflection of smugness in Azula’s eyes, instead the Princess’ eyes shown her scarce sincerity.   
Azula, for once, didn’t want to toy with Ty Lee’s mind and so she reluctantly grabbed the hand reaching out for her, still thinking in a corner of her mind that the Princess would let her drop down again.  
When Ty Lee was on her feet again, she felt the retreating hand after doing its job, but she only gripped harder, signaling her to not let her go.   
Azula frowned, reminding herself that she wasn’t supposed to be somewhat nice to that traitorous freak.   
She felt compelled to simply smack her hand away, but the pleading look and the puffy cheeks she was able to spot in the dark made her oddly **soft**. She despised that feeling almost as much as her mother, but she couldn't help it in that moment.  
Ty Lee saw the frown and was prepared for her hand to be hit away, could already feel the reprimand on Azula’s tongue. Azula’s rare compassion towards her could only last so much.   
Instead, the contortionist saw an unmistakable gentle flicker in her Princess’ eyes and felt Azula’s grip strengthening around her own.   
She was thrown by the rush of feelings that began surging up, like a tsunami rolling over her with all its might.   
All she ever really heard from the others after the Princess’ defeat was that she deserved it, that she was a monster, and this was her righteous punishment – that it was for the best.  
In her weakest moments she, too, began thinking that Azula was a monster all along, feeling as if her memories of better times with her were only a dream, somewhere in a far far away place.   
Ty Lee had felt ashamed for these thoughts, because she knew that she’d experienced the Princess in a way no one else ever did. They had been best friends after all, the **bestest**!  
And right there, in this seemingly insignificant moment, she was proven right.   
Azula’s gesture towards Ty Lee had meant so much more than the Princess herself ever would want to admit to herself.   
“Let’s go, Ty Lee. It’s been a long day,” she sighed, not annoyed though, as she tugged at her hand.   
Ty Lee hadn’t noticed it, but she had stared at the Princess, frozen in place.   
They began walking in silence, only their footsteps echoing through the night.   
The acrobat’s heart was beating quickly, and she didn’t know how to handle the warmth that spread from Azula’s hand throughout her body. The gloves were separating their skins, refraining them from touching directly, but still she could still feel this heat.  
Ty Lee was actually **nervous** and for the love of Agni, she couldn’t figure out what possibly could make her feel this way.   
It was just her friend, holding her hand to comfort her.   
At that thought she was almost bubbling over with joy, forgetting her nervousness.   
Azula was actually kind of comforting her, acting like a friend towards her – intentionally or not.   
The acrobat was well aware of the fact that the Princess was really hopeless when it came to human interactions, but right now she gave Ty Lee exactly what she had needed.  
Ty Lee wanted to vent. She wanted to go and hug Azula, show her how happy she’d made her with this small gesture.   
But she knew better than to overstretch Azula any further than she’d already done, knowing that she’d given the Princess many reasons to be outright mad at her.  
“I missed you” she broke the silence at last, clutching a bit harder at Azula’s hand.  
Azula only scoffed in response.  
“I **really** missed you, Azula” Ty Lee emphasized, looking directly into Azula’s eyes. She could already feel Azula’s hand retreating.  
“Perhaps that’s the reason you’d visited me ever so often?” her voice fake sweet, her raised eyebrows in mock surprise barely visible through the warrior paint.  
“How? I wasn’t allowed to, Zuko wouldn’t let it happen!” Azula was caught off guard by that statement, but she quickly collected herself again.  
“Well, you missed out on a lot. I was having such nice talks with mother and father,” Azula waved it off with her unoccupied hand as if she talked about the most normal thing in the world. The acrobat was totally clueless about Azula's condition, not realizing that   
she actually told the **truth**.  
Ty Lee was confused for a moment, knowing for sure that Ozai was safely locked up somewhere else and Ursa, well, their mother-daughter relationship was quasi non-existent, leaving aside the fact that she’d been gone for a long time now – she even might have been dead.   
Thinking about Azula’s parents made Ty Lee angry.   
She was too young to understand then, when Ursa had disappeared. And even before, the effect Ursa had on little Azula with her actions. She was too small to understand what great influence Ozai would take in place of Ursa, how her best friend would be reshaped in his favor.   
She’d met Azula when they were only 6 years old and even then, she had an edge to her like no one else did on the Fire Nation Academy for Girls, but the bitter coldness and cruelness were traits she had only developed in later years.  
Ty Lee had a lot to reflect upon when she’d been in prison and later on Kyoshi Island.   
She often thought about the days they were supposed to be small and innocent.   
Ty Lee was not that big of a fool, knowing that the war had never given them a real chance for innocence, but Azula’s case had been so much worse.   
Ty Lee had cried a lot when she realized all these things about her past. She’d written a heartfelt letter that night, but she’d never sent it. It laid in her bedroom ever since.  
The acrobat sighed. There was no room for that now, focusing back on Azula who was beginning to toy around with her again. At least Azula’s pull to get out of her hand had lessened and relaxed in hers again.  
“Of course, your highness.” She said automatically, the letdown look was apparent on Ty Lee’s face.   
She stopped walking right before they arrived at her house. She halted the movements of the Princess as well, making her focus her whole attention on the smaller girl with a questioning look.  
“Can’t we... can’t we just talk?” she asked quietly.  
“We’re already talking in this very moment, Ty Lee,” Azula stated matter-of-factly, aware that this wasn’t what she’d meant. She focused on her hand still holding the one of the acrobat, wondering why she hadn’t let go of it yet.   
It was unsettling the Princess, she didn’t feel as appalled by it as she would want to.   
She shouldn’t even find it as **comfortable** as she secretly did. This was seriously unnerving.  
“Right now there’s nothing more that I’d wish for than to mend our friendship. I’d like to talk things through with you, I want you to give me another chance,”   
“What makes you think you deserve another chance?” Azula inquired curiously, still holding Ty Lee’s hand somehow. The more she concentrated on the intertwined hands, the more uncomfortable she got.   
“I first met you over 9 years ago. 9 long years that we’ve known each other! We went through a lot, and I know that you don’t let anyone in, I’ve never met anyone with such high walls around their heart,” she let out a nervous laugh, she accidentally strayed from the point.  
She hastily appeased, “Well, um, what I wanted to say is, that I just can’t forget all about it, I couldn’t even if I wanted to.   
We are tied together by the past and I never intended to cut these ties – not on the Boiling Rock, not ever.” Azula was intrigued by her determination, it was something that wasn’t present the last time she had been by her side.   
It was one of the few notable changes she recognized. She hadn’t spared Ty Lee much of thought, despite the hateful ones.   
Azula inwardly scolded herself, maybe that was exactly what she should do.  
“Everyone is a slave of the past in one way or another. It’s not a legitimate enough reason. And you being unable to cut ties is outright weak, and I do _not_ associate with weaklings on a personal level. Mai and you were chosen for a reason, your particular set of skills outweighed your naivety, whereas nothing of that is enough anymore for me to change my mind.  
So, you got any more of these reasons?”   
The Princess fell too easily into the habit of mocking the smaller girl, toying with her was easier than to seriously deal with **emotions**.   
Even if she wasn’t able to enjoy her self-imposed cruelty on the girl, she couldn’t stop herself.   
She used to be the definition of fortitude and it was about time to claim it again.  
Tears formed in Ty Lee’s eyes and suddenly the warm night turned as cold as the Princess before her, the heat she felt from Azula’s hands long lost.   
To Azula’s surprise, Ty Lee withdrew her hand and clutched it tightly to her chest, she averted her gaze, not wanting to come across as weak – not weaker than she was already at least.   
Azula only ever accepted strength, there was no room for weakness in perfection.   
Ty Lee desperately wanted to be exactly what Azula demanded. Even after all this time.  
She desired to be wax, formed to the whims of the Princess, molded into exactly what Azula wished her to be.   
It hadn’t crossed the acrobats mind once that she only ever had this desire for the Princess, exceeding clearly the boundaries of what was considered normal for a friendship.  
Ty Lee bit back the tears and gathered all of her courage to look into Azula’s eyes. She swore to have seen conflict in them, but that was probably just wishful thinking.  
She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her mind was racing, she needed to convince the Princess.  
 **Quick, think of something smart**! The acrobat thought, but she couldn’t kid herself.   
A hollow laugh filtered through the woods, making the Princess eye her with great interest.  
She wasn’t one to outsmart Azula at her own games. This had been a losing battle right from the start.   
Azula deemed her skills as insufficient, and there was nothing more useful that she could offer the Princess.   
So instead of further reasoning with efficiency and calculation, the reasons Azula was most prone to accept – she knew it was futile – she went with her heart.   
“I **love** you,” It was barely audible, and it took Azula some moments to process these words, contemplating if she’d heard correct.  
Azula had been conflicted before, torn between the strength she wanted to represent and the urge to take back her words, comforting the pity worthy girl before her.   
A smug smile had plastered her face, nonetheless, exempt from all the unusual emotional turmoil within her.  
But her face crumbled at these three simple words. It was as if a current ran through water, causing a knee-jerk-reaction.   
“Ridiculous!” Azula spat incredulously, “I’m not being loved, I’m being feared!” she snapped, the carefully maintained composure was falling into thousand tiny pieces just like the mirror that day.  
Ty Lee was thrown off by the sudden outburst of Azula, her calm exterior had completely vanished.  
She wasn’t sure if any of her words would reach the crumbling Princess, but she had to try.  
“It’s true! You’re my best friend and I love you! And I want to be your friend again!” Ty Lee had to fight for the both of them.  
But Azula only let out a shriek laugh, the shrillness hurting Ty Lee’s ears, she shook her head in disbelief and mustered up all the coldness in her heart, concentrated in one glare, directed at the stupid girl in front of her.  
“ **Weak** ,” she repeated the words of her father, the words she had heard dozen of times whenever it came to emotions when she’d been smaller - or when it'd involved Zuko. When her mother had disappeared without another word, she had been mistakenly thinking that her Father might could lift off some of the pain she’d felt.   
She’d awoken one night, not long after her mother vanishing, she’d felt the room come crushing down on her. That night she’d shed some lonely tears, desperately wanting to hear anything from her mother who hadn’t bothered to say goodbye to her own daughter. She’d even wanted to be reprimanded by her – the only way she’d been giving her attention – anything really. But her mother was gone, and she took a part of Azula she hadn’t been able to show anyone yet with her.   
The day after that night she’d been unusually unconcentrated. Her father had noticed, of course, when he was training with her. She had foolishly told him that it was about Ursa.   
He was raging at the cause of her lack of concentration and performance.   
His voice had been filled with so much viciousness as he had told Azula how utter nonsense as this was disgusting and needed to be **extinguished**. He’d ordered her to bathe in ice cold water, Azula had obeyed without another word.  
“ **You will learn what it means to be distracted by emotions**.”  
Once she’d been undercooled her father allowed her to get out, intimidatingly ordering her to perfectly complete the stances they’d been training before. She’d failed the first time and had to repeat. She had had also failed the second and third time. Each time forced to go back into the state of being undercooled.   
It was very difficult for firebenders to properly bend in the cold. When firebenders are cold themselves it almost becomes impossible.   
She’d succeeded after the sixth time, barely able to stand. Her limbs had been shaking uncontrollably and her father looked upon her with disapproval.  
After she’d been dismissed, her fiery red lips had looked grey and dead, her striking gold eyes dull and lifeless.  
This lesson was imprinted on her whole brain, refraining her from foolishly feeling.   
She’d been so quick to kill any feelings that surfaced within her, all to please her father and to never repeat what she’d had to do that day.  
It was exactly what Ozai intended, Azula wasn’t supposed to feel.   
Feelings were a nuisance, a threat to any mission she’d been tasked with.   
There was no room for feelings, absolutely none.  
Ty Lee winced at the cold brutality of her words.   
She wasn’t able to control the silent tear that strolled down her cheek as she watched the cruel Princess walk away.__


	7. Chapter 7

“That is unacceptable! I will not tolerate foreign armies stationed on the territory of the Fire Nation!” Zuko raised his voice at the ambassador of the Earth Kingdom.  
“Your claim is completely unjustified” he added, losing his cool.  
“I beg to differ. The missing of Princess Azula is outrageous and while we realize that the whims of mother nature are out of your control, it’s of utmost importance to us to retrieve her – dead or alive. You’ve shown us too little goodwill which caused us to take these measures,” the ambassador left out Zuko’s title unlike Azula’s to his utter dismay, he was fuming by now. A messenger thought he was better than the Fire Lord.  
“You’re in my nation, you are to pay tribute to me! And there is no way I would allow something like that, I want to personally speak to your King,”  
“I’m sorry, Fire Lord,” he then spoke, bowing slightly but his eyes betrayed his thoughts. Zuko only shook his head.  
“Unfortunately the King cannot travel all the way to the Fire Nation now, you will have to wait until the summit of the Four Nations takes place in a months’ time. We will prepare our armies, I’m certain we will find an agreement,” the taller guy added with a sly smile.  
This smile reminded him of Azula, and he hated seeing it on this guy’s face. It not only reminded him of his devious sister but also of the fact that this guy before him wouldn’t have dared to talk to Azula like this.  
Zuko hissed in frustration, but he gave in at last.  
“Yes, I’m sure we will find an agreement that will suit both our claims,” he said in an almost ironic tone, standing up and signaling the ambassador that it’s time to leave.  
“Until then,” he said and before Zuko could rage at him for leaving out his title once again, even though he made it clear that he didn’t tolerate it on his own soil, he was out of the room.  
The guards exchanged weird looks with one another.  
“Send in Mai,” he ordered them out, not wanting to see the authority he’d lost in front of his very own servants any longer.  
He sat down again, exhaling, his head in his hands.  
It’d all seemed so promising at his coronation day. The Avatar was next to him and he was so full of hope. The war had finally ended, and the world would now only know about war from the books, hopefully never again in real life. He as the Fire Lord had thought that he could do so much better than his father.  
He’d thought that he would play a big part in uniting the world, help building a better world.  
But he had been so miserably wrong, it was ridiculous.  
He breathed out a bitter laugh.  
There was peace in the world – if you didn’t count in small uprisings – but he wasn’t sure how long exactly it would last.  
And instead of being a part of the now new direction of the world politics, he was more like an outcast. The Fire Nation was forced to pay enormous amounts of reparations to the scarred nations. He was to dissolve the colonies and it’d hit the Fire Nation hard.  
And if the overall turmoil amongst the population wasn’t bad enough, the economy of the Fire Nation hitting on the down low because of that certainly was.  
The budget cuts were apparent throughout the Nation and they all blamed Zuko for letting them play him like a puppet, for not having enough backbone to stand up against them.  
The population felt humiliated, slowly but surely a powder keg had started to form, and it left Zuko sleepless at night.  
He was overwhelmed by the turn of events. He could’ve never foreseen such things happening. He thought that by now everyone would be content with the peace he, among others, brought them.  
When he was crowned Fire Lord, he had known that there were still many people who’d supported Ozai and who would had wished to see Azula being in his place. By now the figure might have doubled or maybe even tripled. It strained him to no ends.  
A light knock was heard and pulled him out of these thoughts.  
“Come in,” he sighed, Mai appeared.  
She mustered him and knew by the way he looked like that the ambassador didn’t bring any good news with him.  
“Did they remember something else from over 80 years ago that they need reparations for?” Mai asked annoyed, she’d seen messengers mostly from the Earth Kingdom swarming in and out of the palace countless times ever since Zuko became Fire Lord.  
She really loved him, but the last months took a toll on him and even though she would never outright show it, it pained her a lot to see him, watching how he was slowly _decaying_.  
His hair had actually stopped growing from the constant stress he faced, leaving him unable to wear the typical hairstyle for Fire Lords. He’d also aged considerably.  
He didn’t look 17 anymore, rather 30 and it wasn’t very appealing to Mai.  
He’d gotten wrinkles. The biggest ones were between his eyebrows, a relaxed look on his face was a rarity and it scared her – there was no relief in sight.  
She knew that there hadn’t been any way around the reparations the Fire Nation had to pay the other nations, but she did secretly think that it was avoidable to be exploited and ran down like that.  
The Earth Kingdom had been the worst of them all, like vultures they swirled above the dying nation, taking everything they could until there was nothing left anymore.  
The Fire Nation had always been such a proud nation, it was heartbreaking to see what state it was in and it could only get worse.  
Zuko stood up and began pacing up and down the room, he was very upset.  
“I can’t believe how rude and cocky they are! They want to deploy their armies on my country!” he hit the wall with his fist.  
Mai was too stunned by the new plans of the Earth Kingdom to have bothered commenting on Zuko losing his cool. There were seldom moments where she’d thought that his temperament and the position as a Fire Lord weren’t compatible.  
“The people certainly won’t like that, Zuko. What do you intend to do?” This statement was amazingly understated, as the Fire Nation stood on a brink of a full-fledged rebellion against the felt wrongdoings done by the other nations.  
She was as stoic as ever, her voice always around the same level even though this news heavily unnerved her. She was beginning to fear for his safety as well as for hers more and more.  
The people already had been so dissatisfied with the way he’d handled political matters and they had been sure to voice it loudly.  
Nothing of that sorts would have happened when Ozai, Azulon or Sozin reigned.  
When the small uprisings had begun within the Fire Nation, he didn’t take action but tried to appease, thinking the problems would be solved that way.  
While it was honorable to try to solve problems peacefully, it’d been the wrong move with people like _them_.  
His reaction to such uprisings had spread throughout the nation like a wildfire and animated those who planned on eventually usurping him as they hadn’t had to face the immediate threat of death when being part of such revolt.  
The only thing that kept the rebellion at bay was the unknown whereabouts of the Princess and the uncertainty in regards of the upcoming trials. No one in the Fire Nation would’ve ever dared to cut through the thousands of years old royal blood line or even place someone on the throne whose blood wasn’t theirs.  
Zuko groaned, “I really don’t know, Mai. The entire population would despise me if I’d allow something like this happening. But the Earth Kingdom has the upper hand right now, and I’m really at a loss. Maybe I should pay Uncle a visit in Ba Sing Se,” he gazed out of the window, but Mai could see a desperate glint reflecting in his eyes.  
She hadn’t expected a solution coming from him, but it still unsettled her.  
She herself wasn’t sure what the next best step would look like, but then again that was the reason why she wasn’t ruling but ruled.  
“You can’t just take a trip to Ba Sing Se. Not when news about political unrest in Fire Fountain City flutter in every day,” Mai grew immensely irritated at the ever-growing number of issues.  
She had hated the boredom when she was stuck with her parents in Omashu, but right now nothing seemed more appealing to her and she even started to secretly long for the old life she once used to abhor with all of her black heart.  
“The people are mad. The employment rate dropped significantly since the city lived off of the war. I already increased the contingent of troops, they would prevent anything bad from happening,” Zuko said impatiently, he hadn’t really had a chance to think about what course of action would be the most plausible in regards of Fire Fountain city, but he came to the conclusion that this would be sufficient for now.  
“The stacked-up troops can only prevent so much, what do you want to do about the employment rate?” She inquired, the unrest wouldn’t just stop like that.  
He exhaled loudly.  
“I’m not sure yet, but it has to wait for now. I really need to travel to Uncle and meet the King, please stay here and have an eye on the palace. It’s a hard time to determine who is loyal and who isn’t.”  
Mai was very unhappy with his decisions, but she simply nodded. She’d been taught well enough to shut her mouth.  
There was a short awkward silence between them. Zuko looked at Mai and wanted to be desperately held by her, comforted by her.  
But it was to no avail. If he didn’t voice his desires, she wouldn’t do things like these.  
He exhaled again, he needed to get going now.  
He was right about to call in a servant, ordering to prepare for his departure when Mai cut him off accidentally.  
“What about Azula? It’s been over a week now,” she knew she was straining him more than he could take right now, but it was important. His expression turned into one of worry and conflict.  
When Mai had encountered Azula the first time after the Boiling Rock in the palace, she was prepared to have fire thrown at her, or lightning. Somehow, nothing had happened though, she only hurled some insults her way, not too bad ones.  
Mai had been surprised but then again she wasn’t. In one way or another, Azula must’ve had anticipated that sooner or later she’d chose Zuko over her.  
Her concerns drifted to Ty Lee. She’d never given Azula a reason to doubt her loyalty and that had hit her hard. She could only hope for Ty Lee that Azula would act towards her the way she'd acted towards Mai, but she knew her better than that.  
There’s nothing she could do but trust in Ty Lee’s abilities to defend herself.  
“It’s too early to receive a message yet. It would be suspicious. But I assume they will be fine, Azula knows what she could lose for good,” Zuko replied, his face growing more serious.  
“She’s smart enough to know that she doesn’t have any other choice than to abide by the rules of the Kyoshi Warriors,” he added but doubts plagued him.  
His face lost a bit of edge at the thought of his little sister being forced to be a part of them. Even after everything that had happened between them, she was still his little sister and he didn’t want her harmed or killed, but after she had set out, he thought about the control he’d lost over her – or at least the one he’d thought to have – and even though her chances were fleeting in escaping and surviving, he was greatly concerned.  
But there was no going back anymore.  
He dropped it and ordered the servant in and got ready to travel to Ba Sing Se.

~~~

“Thank you a lot,” Ty Lee smiled politely at him as he nodded and went out of the bedroom.  
She held the smile all the time, masking her doubts and her uncertainty about this situation.  
She knew that there was no way around it, but she still seemed taken aback by it happening so quickly in the end.  
She always pushed it to the back of her mind, thinking that she had time later on. But now there wasn’t any later on and there was no way to run from it now.  
The acrobat went to Azula, who sat on the couch, reading a book about the _arts of war_.  
She rolled her eyes at how entirely typical it was for the Princess to spend her time with such topics.  
“Um, if you’d like to you can bring your stuff into my bedroom. There is also room now for your clothes,” Ty Lee stood there awkwardly, watching as the Princess didn’t take off of her eyes from the book.  
“Good,” she barely acknowledged Ty Lee’s presence.  
It’d been this way throughout their first week. They always ate breakfast together – since Ty Lee always cooked – and went to the training, but after the work was done Azula always vanished into the evening.  
Ty Lee had asked her about it, but the Princess had simply retorted that it’s none of her business. She was worried for more than one reason.  
She’d found out days later that Azula and Nami had met up once and she had been so _mad_.  
Ty Lee couldn’t deny any longer that she’d been in fact jealous.  
Azula after all never really liked people, she only tolerated some. The acrobat just couldn’t comprehend why Azula was befriending her _and_ meeting her outside of work.  
They hadn’t really talked since the conversation after the welcoming ceremony and it’s been almost a whole week after that incident.  
It’s not like Ty Lee hadn’t tentatively tried to strike up a light conversation with her, she did, but each time she was met with deaf and uninterested ears.  
Azula wasn’t even insulting her anymore, toying with her.  
She was simply ignoring her and it drove Ty Lee crazy.  
She’d even wished to be mocked by the Princess or that she would play one of her little games to mess with her, anything was better than the cold shoulder.  
Ty Lee really had a knack for attention and this _non-attention_ of Azula was simply the worst.  
That the bed was delivered and assembled that day was the icing on the cake.  
She knew that Azula couldn’t live on the couch forever, eventually moving into her bedroom, but how was she supposed to get a good night rest now when Azula was only a few feet away?  
She wanted to be close to the erratic Princess, becoming friends again, but she couldn’t shake of that latent fear that always accompanied Ty Lee – especially when she was near her.  
The acrobat stood awkwardly in the room and didn’t really know what to do with herself. She wiped across the commode feeling the cool wood beneath her palm. She straightened her clothes and waited for Azula to come.  
Moments later, Azula entered the bedroom with a stack of clothes in her hands. Ty Lee had somehow expected Azula to shove them into her hands, commanding her to sort them for her but instead she only asked, “Where is my drawer?”  
The acrobat opened her designated place to store her belongings, gesturing with her hands and smiling timidly at the Princess in front of her, “Right here,”  
Wordlessly and without looking at Ty Lee, she placed all of her clothes neatly in the drawer.  
The Princess eyed her bed with discontent.  
Ty Lee picked up on it, “I know it’s nothing like what you’re used to but it was the best available,”  
“I also already prepared the linen for you. It’s not silk though, but it’s still really soft,” she added enthusiastically, being happy to offer Azula the best materials of Kyoshi.  
“It’s similar to the one in the asylum, it will be sufficient,” Azula said, her hand drawing over the sheets. She had to admit that they were in fact quite soft – not as soft as the finest silk back in the Palace – but it was alright.  
“Asylum? I thought you were in prison?” Ty Lee’s eyebrows were almost touching her hairline, that was how confused she was.  
Azula heard the sincerity in her confusion and found out bit by bit that the acrobat really didn’t know anything about her situation after Sozin’s Comet. She had also thought a lot about the words that were spoken the night almost a week ago.  
“ _I love you_ ” these words echoed through Azula’s mind too many times to count and she always grew angry at these words. But with each time the intensity of her anger declined more and more and one time an unwanted thought penetrated her head. _What if it’s true?_  
No, she couldn’t believe the words Ty Lee had said. It was a beautiful lie, one Azula could never live.  
It’d made her think anyway why Ty Lee acted that way towards the Princess.  
Azula had been downright cruel to her ever since they’d met again, save for that one time maybe where she gave into the urge to appease the guilt she’d felt.  
The last time they’d seen each other Azula was commanding the guards to throw her into prison to rot. One should think Ty Lee held a grudge over it, but no. She was still genuinely friendly to her.  
Azula knew that the circus freak still feared her and that Ty Lee had to accept her into her home but she could’ve acted differently towards Azula.  
She couldn’t figure out the reasons of Ty Lee’s behavior. She couldn’t see any ulterior motives behind her actions. They had to live together and work together but they still could have coexisted in silence until Azula’s plans to escape became concrete.  
There was no advantage in befriending Azula in this situation.  
It was then that a sudden thought shot through her head.  
Fear hadn’t prevented Ty Lee from betraying Azula.  
“ _I love you_ ” it was again in the Princess’ head and then a scheme popped into her vision.  
_Loyalty not through fear but through an actual bond_ , Azula thought and wanted to gag at the repugnant cheesiness.  
She could already see the plan forming piece by piece, playing right before her inner eye.  
If she couldn’t physically harm that clueless idiot, then she would do it differently.  
Just like with Ba Sing Se.  
She would infiltrate Ty Lee from within, making her believe that they would be real friends again, treating her better than before and Ty Lee would be wrapped around her finger in no time.  
When she would be certain that Ty Lee would follow her until the end of time, she would rip everything she loved away from her.  
She would tear it apart in front of her big doe eyes which always displayed such innocence, such childish curiosity.  
Azula would show her the pain she had inflicted on her, make her experience the overwhelming loss of losing everything you’d stood up for every morning.  
“You don’t know a single thing about what happened after the Boiling Rock, do you?” Azula couldn’t hide the smirk as she sat down on the bed. That new plan of hers would ultimately shatter that little pink flower, burn her beyond recognition. She wouldn’t be able to bounce back from it like she always did.  
_I will show you what it means to be fooled by emotions_ , Azula thought deviously, completely detached from reality. Little did she know that her own plan to crush that delicate girl would alter her own path irrevocably.  
“Well, I’ve been just told that you were defeated. I couldn’t believe it at first, but they didn’t want to give me any further details. I guess they wanted to protect me,” she let out an uneasy laugh, but she was glad that Azula was actually talking to her.  
Azula sighed and laid down, staring at the ceiling. She wasn’t sure why no one really told her what had been going down.  
Sometimes that fateful day felt like it’s been yesterday and other times if felt like it’d been years ago. Azula supposed that this was the way people bonded, by telling sob stories.  
Azula turned to lay on her site, supporting her body on one elbow.  
“Sit down,” she patted on the space before her. As if she was about to tell a tale to a child.  
Ty Lee was uncertain for a moment, this behavior of the Princess was very unusual but she shrugged it off and happily obeyed.  
Azula laid in the center of the bed and she sat down next to her. The bed wasn’t that small, but their bodies were close, nonetheless.  
Ty Lee couldn’t pin this feeling down. It suddenly felt so intimate to be on a bed together with Azula lying down. She’d often been on Azula’s bed when they were smaller, so why did this feel so strange now?  
“The only reason I lost that day was because of my mind playing tricks on me. I wasn’t totally focused and that waterbending _bitch_ got lucky,” it was a rare occurrence that the Princess cursed like that, she always carried herself with so much royal grace and it honestly shocked the acrobat a bit. Azula spat the last part with so much venom, the contortionist felt already sorry for Katara if she and Azula were to ever meet again.  
“I couldn’t cope with the loss I was confronted with. I had lost everything, Ty Lee,” Azula’s before strong and angry voice grew a bit weaker on its own accord. She said it as if that would be enough to know why she landed in the asylum, and not in prison.  
The smaller girl felt overwhelmed by her expression of feelings, her voicing out loud that she’d actually lost. Ty Lee noticed right away how dark her aura turned at the mentioning of that day.  
Instinctually she reached out for Azula and went in to hug her.  
It was awkward to say the least, because Azula was lying and without thinking about their positions at all, Ty Lee ended up partway on top of her, clutching the Princess tightly.  
Azula had always been very good at masking what she’d felt on the inside. She was a master of controlling arbitrary fire and controlling her body. Her face only betrayed her thoughts a couple of times in her entire life. She still didn’t look as stoic as Mai always did.  
But she couldn’t stifle the sharp inhale as Ty Lee crushed down on her and she felt her chest tightly pressed against hers. It was a pleasant sensation, one she’d never felt before in that way and it took her completely by surprise.  
Azula had never been one to indulge into the pleasantries life sometimes had to offer. Even if it felt good, she wanted to push Ty Lee away immediately but her arms stayed limply at her sides.  
“I’m so sorry, Azula! That must’ve been a real hard time for you,” Ty Lee stated the obvious, but it was a nice change hearing it from someone else.  
“Ty Lee,” Azula breathed into the neck of the acrobat, and the tone made Ty Lee retreat so she could display her full attention. But she didn’t return to her sitting position, instead she propped up on her elbows on each side of Azula, her head supported by the hands that hovered over Azula’s covered belly.  
“I thought a lot about your words after the ceremony,” she paused and inhaled deeply, this wasn’t going to be easy for her. Ty Lee was hanging onto every word that came out of her mouth.  
“I also thought a lot about second chances. Zuko gave me one even after I tried to kill him, so I came to the conclusion that I shall, too, give you a second chance,”  
These words left a disgusting taste in her mouth, even if they were all lies, she never wanted to say these words ever again.  
Ty Lee squeaked and dove in yet again to hug her tightly, only that her head was now beneath the Princess’ chin.  
This time Azula midly reciprocated the hug. Ty Lee's eyes were so wide, she was worried they would pop out right of her head. She needed some moments to process what exactly the Princess had said to her. She was gaping as she grasped the words she was certain to have heard.  
“Wh-What? Really? Oh my, that makes me so happy, Azula! Thank you, thank you!” Azula could feel the big smile on her chest and she allowed the embrace again, trying to look convincing in giving this a try.  
“But,” Azula started with a purposeful voice.  
“But?” the acrobat wanted to lift her head to see into her eyes, but Azula brought a hand to her head, starting to idly stroke Ty Lee’s hair.  
Azula had once read about the art of making other people agree with you only through body contact and suggestion.  
She’d disregarded this idea as useless since she hadn’t needed their consent – she commanded and they bowed down. It had been that simple.  
Nonetheless, curiosity got the better of her and she wanted to test if this was truly working. Ty Lee would be her testing object.  
It would be very difficult to forge a feigned bond not of fear but loyalty and maybe this method – if proving to be working – might help.  
The smaller girl seemed surprised at her action but quickly gave in and leaned into the touch. She closed her eyes in enjoyment and hummed.  
“This doesn’t imply that I trust you again. You have to work hard to earn it and you’ll have to eventually _prove_ yourself to me.”  
The seriousness in the Princess’ tone caught Ty Lee’s attention, she lifted her head, Azula’s hand wandered in the meanwhile to her shoulder and rested there, the other laid lazily on her exposed waist.  
It was hard to concentrate when she was so distracted by Azula’s light touches, especially by her hand resting on her naked waist. She couldn’t determine if she was more elated by the fact that Azula gave their friendship a second chance or by the closeness and her gentle strokes.  
Right in that moment Azula could’ve demanded whatever she wanted and Ty Lee would've blissfully agreed, if it meant she could lay just a tad bit longer there with her Princess, bathing in the warmth she emitted, feeling safe as hands made for destruction and bloodshed stroked her shoulder with unknown tenderness.  
Ty Lee should have known that the Princess was up to no good. Maybe she was aware of it, and maybe she didn't care.  
“I will do whatever it takes, Princess,” she beamed, while her eyes portrayed earnest determination.  
A smirk tugged at the corner of the calculating Princess, the clueless girl on her positively reacted to touch, just as expected.  
The newfound tactic was working well.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That picture is just a tease

Ty Lee were the tides – ebb and flow – rhythmically crashing on the shores and retreating into invisibility, torn between two extremes when it came to Princess Azula.  
She was repulsed and drawn to her, she was appalled and enthralled, she feared and loved her – a seemingly infinite war between her head and her heart.  
Throughout it all, Azula was her very own constant. She was like the moon – she was there even if she didn’t see her.  
Ruthlessly lurking in her mind always, even if she wanted to flee the shores like the ebb.  
The Princess hovered above her. No matter what she did, no matter how hard she’d tried to escape what drove her – the fuel of her life.  
And just like the moon, she was commanding the tides. A powerful force of nature. Inexorably demanding and doing so with a grace not stemming from this world – divine.

Ty Lee had reached her down low when she was thrown into the worst prison of the whole nation by her very own goddess.  
The acrobat was ruled by her ever since their paths had crossed, intertwined and within a split second – where she’d defied the laws of her own nature – her world had spiraled into disorder.  
The ebb was overflowing the shores and the flow made them run dry.  
Over the course of their friendship, Azula and Ty Lee had formed a silent agreement, a symbiosis unbeknownst to the otherwise observant Princess.  
For a split second, Ty Lee had been too repulsed by her sacred ruler, as if the moon had drifted out of its orbit, losing the power and gravity it’d held over the tides. Something Azula had always been certain about would never change until it did.  
Ty Lee had been always sure about what they were. She’d been the tides and Azula was the moon and the sun and the stars all together.  
The Princess didn’t simply reflect light like the moon did. She was pure fire, unadulterated energy – the sun herself.  
But Ty Lee had broken their symbiosis. She’d taken away the gravity the moon thrived on and destroyed the bond Azula had thought to always be able to rely on.  
Just as Ty Lee’s world had descended into chaos, Azula descended into madness.  
As they both had separately picked up the pieces of their shattered worlds, Ty Lee longed for the guiding light that was her moon – her sun – while pushing herself and was pushed to move on nevertheless. But it had been to no avail, she was running in circles.  
Azula had picked up the pieces by seeking salvation in plotting to achieve her birthright, trying mercilessly to deflect the utter hurt she’d never admit to have felt.  
And then they’d met for the first time after 7 months and they collided.  
The days after their unexpected reunion, the contortionist felt drawn to her all over again. And then appalled by the physical harm Azula had wanted to inflict on her on more than one occasion, shattering her to her core. It didn’t change the periodic waves of adoring and dread, but the flow felt more deliberate than before. That way she was farther away from her source of power and doom.  
And then… then Azula gave her a second chance and pulled Ty Lee out of a darkness, she didn’t know she’d wandered in ever since _that_ day.  
It was as if a long-lost believed puzzle piece appeared at last, a piece Ty Lee knew she needed, but didn’t know just how much until it’d completed her.  
It hadn’t even been that long, not even a whole year, but days could drag on forever when it felt absolutely suffocating to mask the pain she wasn’t allowed to show, she wasn’t allowed to feel.  
It was never expressed verbally, but when Ty Lee first arrived at Kyoshi and interacted with people who’d known about her affiliation with the executing hand of the war-hungry Fire Lord, she’d seen it in their eyes. No one wanted someone to mourn over an _evil beast_ locked away some place foreign, until _justice_ would catch up and would eventually give Ty Lee a real reason to mourn.  
But that didn’t matter anymore, because nothing ever was predictable when it involved the Princess.  
Ty Lee thought they were fools for assuming that all she ever could be was evil, or maybe she herself was the fool for thinking she could and would tame an immortal flame with her unyielding love and loyalty.  
Azula singlehandedly illumined her world with such ease, the acrobat should have stopped to think just what role exactly the Princess played in her life.  
But Ty Lee didn’t bother at that moment, for the light being way too bright to be dimmed by such thoughts, or by the knowledge that nothing as beautiful as the light of the Princess directed at her – and only at her – could be _real_.  
Not even Ty Lee could’ve been that naïve to believe Azula would sit still, remain impassive and let destiny run its course.  
The acrobat was aware of the implications and she was determined to pass whatever test Azula would put her through, knowing that it would be anything but easy.  
She was hellbent on proving herself to the unforgiving Princess, and if it’d be the last thing she’d do.  
“You seem extraordinarily happy, Ty Lee. How can this be, living with _her_ ,” Suki was glad to see a genuine smile on her face again but couldn’t help herself when it came to the reason why nights became restless.  
“You won’t believe it!” Ty Lee exclaimed with a big grin.  
“She actually gave our friendship a second chance,” while the acrobat could barely contain her happiness, Suki was struggling to contain her discontentment.  
It was sunday, the only day were the Kyoshi Warriors could rest and so Suki and Ty Lee used to often meet up, like that day.  
“You shouldn’t get yourself too invested in Azula and you know it,” she started to carefully voice her opinion, even though the warrior sitting in front of her at the table certainly wouldn’t want to hear about it.  
Sometimes there were dangers involved that didn’t meet the eyes, but Suki knew one when she saw it and she _clearly_ saw the danger Ty Lee’s need for Azula’s approval harbored.  
“How could I not, Suki? She’s my best friend,” her whole demeanor changed for a moment as she was defending their friendship.  
Ty Lee had always been such a fun person to be around, she was bubbly and outgoing. It was only that sometimes she was pulled back by her past and that was understandable to Suki.  
But for the love of Kyoshi, she just couldn’t understand how Ty Lee could regard that sadistic piece of a woman her friend, let alone her _best_ friend.  
“Best friends don’t throw each other into prison or try to kill the other,” she disliked being so blunt, but Ty Lee seriously needed to see the bitter truth.  
She began pouring chamomile tea into two cups and handed on over to the naïve girl.  
“It’s okay if you don’t understand it, Suki,” she began saying with a small smile, “I just cannot _not_ care about her, no matter what she does. She’s my best friend, and best friends stick together forever,” she had a toothy grin on her and Suki could only shake her head at that degree of ignorance.  
She didn’t want to dwell further on it as she saw that it was futile for now. So she addressed what she’d seen throughout the week.  
“For a friend, you shoot quite the jealous glances to Azula and Nami,” Suki tried to alleviate the seriousness of their prior topic and Ty Lee completely fell into it.  
Ty Lee’s dazzling smile had reappeared earlier and now turned into a mix of shy smile and a pout because she’d been caught.  
“I wasn’t!” Ty Lee countered, it was a weak lie and both of them were aware of it.  
“Please Ty Lee,” she began to laugh at her funny face, “I have a close eye on Azula. Even though she doesn’t have the slightest chance to plot something over here, she can’t be trusted and I have the duty to protect my people,” she reasoned.  
Ty Lee didn’t give her last comment any further thought. Azula was a very dangerous person, but somehow she couldn’t see her hurting the people on the island.  
“It’s nothing,” Ty Lee laid her head on her arms, burying her face.  
Suki shed off her amusement and empathically placed a hand on her shoulder.  
“You can talk to me, Ty Lee,” she offered gently.  
The acrobat sighed, “Azula was ignoring me all week long, and it’s really doing my aura no good to be ignored!”  
Suki could barely make out the muffled words, but she could clearly hear her pouting.  
“She didn’t want to talk to me, but to Nami! That made no sense!” her head peaked out of arms that hid her expression before.  
“Isn’t it better if she rather gets along with them than to openly resent them?” she asked softly, thinking that Ty Lee was overreacting. She never pinned the acrobat as the jealous type and found her creeping suspicion disconcerting.  
“I guess,” she just shrugged and took a sip from the cup.  
“How come she ignored you the entire week and then gave you a second chance?” Suki inquired, it sparked her curiosity a lot.  
“Well, we fought because she was mad at me and then she got even more mad,” she explained half-heartedly and sipped at the tea again to hold her tongue. Suki was her good friend, but Ty Lee didn’t really want to tell her anything that had happened between them, she knew how it’d look like to outsiders.  
“But who could resist these eyes?” She looked at her with her huge doe eyes and both started to laugh and moved on to talk about more trivial things. Ty Lee breathed a sigh of relief inwardly at the successful maneuver to stray from the topic.

~~~

“We should totally celebrate today!” Ty Lee exclaimed happily and was met with an unconvinced expression.  
“We could take a long walk at the beach,” she was so excited. Her stay at Suki’s house was cut short since she was so happy and wanted to spend the rest of the evening with the Princess.  
“As enthralling as it sounds, it’s not possible,” she said with a deadpan expression, her face devoid of any real disappointment.  
“The sun is already setting and this is a more secluded part of the island, it will be alright,” Ty Lee tried to look as cute as possible, her protruding eyes intently staring into hard, unreadable ones.  
There was no real risk in going out soon, there were almost never people in that part of the island, simply because it was rockier over there.  
She was so bouncy, wrung nervously her hands, anticipating the Princess’ response. She _really_ wanted to take this walk and catch up with her.  
“Fine,” Azula said at last, there wasn’t anything else to do and maybe she could later get rid of her and train a bit further.  
Ty Lee’s day just got better and better and couldn’t stop herself from hugging Azula out of joy. Azula tensed but let it happen.  
She knew that the Princess wasn’t fond of it, or at least not nearly as enthusiastic as she was of body contact, but she couldn’t help herself and needed to feel her friend, that way she could be sure this wasn’t just a wonderful dream.  
Not long after they’d decided to wander along the beach, night had fallen and they set out.  
To Azula’s surprise the acrobat didn’t fill the air with meaningless incessant chatter. She saw the smaller girl struggling though, she was trying hard to not run her mouth.  
“What is it?” her cold voice penetrated the warm summer night’s air with a bite in her voice Ty Lee knew just too well. They were now friends again, but Azula treated her pretty much the same way as always, minus the immediate physical threat.  
“There are just so many things I wanna talk about with you, I’d really like to catch up with you,” it was an innocent thing to say, an innocent desire to share things with your friend, but all Azula heard was, ‘ _talk to me about your time after the Boiling Rock_ ’.  
“Not now, Ty Lee,” what she actually meant was _never_. Her glare coupled with her icy voice left no room for objection, the smaller girl knew she’d have to drop it.  
Over the years Ty Lee had grown accustomated to the way the Princess spoke, grown accustomated to the harsh, condescending look these fiery gold eyes almost always held.  
Ty Lee figured that it was an inevitable development, growing up being the eventual Crown Princess of a superior Empire in the fangs of a ruthless power-crazy man.  
To persist next to the Princess meant to be able to withstand anything she’d hurl into one’s direction.  
So most of the times when Ty Lee’s attempts to pry out anything emotional were relentlessly shot down, it just bounced off like water falling on glass.  
Only very personal insults that hit too close to home fazed her, but even then was the acrobat granted something by the Princess, no one except for her would ever experience: a genuine apology.  
That was, of course, prior to the incidents on the Boiling Rock, it made her feel exorbitantly special still.  
“It looks like a storm is coming,” she tried to rev up a conversation again, “it’s a shame we can’t see the stars right now, they are real pretty,” she pouted at that, the evening would’ve been so much better with the stars decorating the sky, instead of dark, threatening thunderclouds which still managed to look fluffy.  
She was a warrior – a soldier who’d fought in war – but she was still afraid of thunderstorms and grew nervous at the sight. She didn’t want their walk to end yet, so she tried to distract herself with memories of a past life.  
“Do you remember our place on the roof of the Palace? The night sky was always the prettiest up there” she couldn’t suppress the small giggle the memory elicited.  
“I do” she replied after a short pause of thinking of a time that felt ages ago, “and I do remember _someone_ following me up there, taking away my peaceful refuge,”  
It might not have sounded that way, but the acrobat could see in Azula’s expression that it hadn’t bothered her at all.  
“I bet it got lonely being on top all alone, and you know what they say?” the smaller girl had a playful glint in her eyes that caught the Princess’ attention.  
“I don’t get lonely,” she wanted to hiss but reminded herself of her new plan.  
“And if you must, enlighten me,” this walk wasn’t half as bad as she’d expected it to be even if it didn’t seem like she could train sometime later.  
Ty Lee placed herself in front of Azula, halting her steps.  
“Everybody gets lonely sometimes. It’s only human and you, my honorable Princess,” she poked into her shoulder innocently, proving her point, “are human, too,”  
Azula rolled her eyes at that well-meant comment, she didn’t feel really honorable right now. She shouldn’t have to hide; her purpose was so much more than this.  
Strangely enough, she wasn’t irritated at Ty Lee’s bold move to poke her like that, she brushed off her hand nevertheless.  
“And they say that life’s built for two,” the contortionist used the Princess’ movement to brush off her poking finger to intertwine their hands.  
She wasn’t as stupid as people made her out to be, but she could be an airhead at times. Azula’s second chance made her especially lightheaded that day and she took greater risks, ones she wouldn’t dare to take otherwise, afraid to be marked in a bad way.  
A strong breeze started to coat the island, announcing the approaching storm. Azula’s flowing bangs emphasized her prominent cocked eyebrow.  
“You do realize the implications of that saying, don’t you?” Azula smirked, feeling superior.  
“Life’s built for two, like you and me. Life’s built for best friends to stick together!” she exclaimed enthusiastically, naively, giving her hand a small squeeze to affirm her point.  
“It’s not meant to be applied on _friendships_ , Ty Lee,” Azula couldn’t understand why she felt heat rising into her cheeks, and she hated what she didn’t understand.  
She withdrew her hand and started walking back to the house, unable to determine if she disliked what she didn’t understand the most or being soaked by the rain.  
Ty Lee stood still, momentarily dumbfounded as she processed the real implications, turning utterly red when she’d realized it.  
She ran after the Princess, trying to catch up with her.  
“N-No, that’s not what I meant, sorry,” she was somehow mortified, never did she think about that before, but now the image of Azula and her as in together- _together_ stuck in her brain.  
Questions arose within her, questions that made her feel even more embarrassed and confused.  
“I didn’t mean it that way, I swear! I hope I didn’t upset you,” Azula’s exterior didn’t let anything on, and she wanted to celebrate and not stir trouble or disgust the Princess.  
“I wouldn’t blame you if you did, I am meant to be admired and worshipped,” her tone was dripping with smugness and Ty Lee did admire her with all of her heart in that moment.  
Azula had been stripped off of everything that gave substance to her life, the only reality she’d known ever since she was born taken away.  
And yet, there she was, her head held high as the world strove for her demise, utter confidence oozing off of her.  
Ty Lee’s heart palpitated at the sight, she was utterly and completely captivated by her.  
She looked starry-eyed into the abyss and found nothing but a fiercely blinding blue flame, flickering and pulsating with life.  
Ty Lee felt like she was set ablaze, unable to stop herself from saying, “I’ve never admired anything in this life as much as I admire you,”  
Azula shot her a quizzical look as Ty Lee wide-eyed covered her mouth with both of her hands and tried to shrug it off with a nervous chuckle.  
Azula’s expression returned to its smirking state and it made Ty Lee feel exposed, as if the Princess already knew something she didn’t.  
Before any of them could say anything else, a roaring thunder broke loose which echoed the turmoil inside Ty Lee and made her jump anxiously.  
“Let’s go,”  
Ty Lee didn’t need to be told twice.


	9. Chapter 9

_Her arms were stretched out, each foot taking a timid step forward. Step for step, slowly walking the endless thin line._  
_She was high up above. Clouds could be seen, surrounding the enormous wall she was balancing on.  
There was no safety net, no flames hungrily awaiting her, just a fluffy abyss. Tiny islands with trees were floating around her, the sky wore a brilliant blue._

____

__  
_She should’ve felt frightened, despite the exceptional scenery, she was just one careless step away from tripping into the unknown. But she kept moving, even if she didn’t want to, she couldn’t stop.  
She had no control over her body and was merely a spectator, unable to direct the course of this seemingly beautiful nightmare. _

__

__  
_This would’ve been an appropriate time to panic, but she couldn’t help but feel safe._  
_She could sense a presence behind her back, hands hovering left and right above her waist, ready to catch her anytime.  
she was unable to do anything other than walking, she couldn’t turn her head to see who gave her that security. She actually felt content._

____

____

_  
Suddenly the atmosphere shifted, everything went black._

__

  
_The sense of security she’d felt before completely dissolved into the air, she felt her heartbeat quicken, fear surging through her veins now._  
_She wanted to scream for help, but the words didn’t find a way out of her mouth._

  
_It was then that her eyes adjusted to the darkness and were able to identify the place she found herself in. She was amidst the Royal Palace Garden, at the pond where the turtleducks roamed._

  
_She could now see that a small figure was cowering at the opposite end of it._

  
_The familiarity of the place lessened the initial panic and was partly replaced by curiosity._

__  
_A distinct sob could be heard and she wanted to move towards that poor little figure, but there was no strength in her body, she was frozen to the ground.  
With no control, all she could do was to stand still and observe the crouching figure. It was too dark to identify it but she could already fathom who was behind the veil of darkness._

__

__

  
_Her hunch proved to be right when the figure lifted her head and glistening golden eyes pierced into hers, remnants of tears basking in the glow of her eyes._  
_She wanted to run to little Azula so badly and hug her pain away, while momentarily fazed by facing Azula’s younger, more innocent self._

__  
“It’s true, isn’t it _?” Azula asked detached, her voice missing the sadness she embodied in that moment._  
_Ty Lee was completely confused, but she couldn’t reply even if she knew the answer the little Princess sought._  
_Hurt crossed the little girl’s features accompanied by disappointment, as if she had desperately wanted to be told otherwise._

_  
“_ So, it’s true… _” Azula’s head sunk, she paused._

_  
“_ I’m a _monster.”_

_  
Before Ty Lee could protest and console the slipping girl, she was torn out of the garden and placed into a big dance hall. It was full of people and they all looked important but they were faceless, except for one._

_  
“_ May I have this dance _?” Her smirk was confident and Ty Lee immediately took the hand that politely reached out to her. Azula looked completely gorgeous and intimidating, clad in impeccable Fire Lord garb._

__

__  
_She was swept away by the beautiful music that started right the moment the Princess pressed her tightly to her body. Swept away by the proximity and the raw look in her eyes, never leaving hers._  
_They swayed and swirled and it felt like their feet didn’t even touch the ground.  
All these faceless people cleared the dancefloor, all their attention focused on the two of them. She relished all the attention but nothing could compare to the feeling of being the subject of Fire Lord Azula’s sole focus._

__

____

_  
“_ You were always one to be curious _,” the reverberating power and confidence made Ty Lee feel weak in her knees._

__  
_It was a confusing statement at first but her mouth turned dry by all the excitement and nervousness that suddenly quelled up and began to spill._  
_Their featherlike steps slowed down and Azula’s gaze flickered to Ty Lee’s full pink lips._  
_Her face came continually closer until their lips almost touched._  
_Azula emphasized her intentions by moving her hand to the acrobat’s cheek._  
_The action caused a jolt of electricity running through her and she found herself closing her eyes in anticipation._  
_She could feel Azula setting out to finally close the gap, her hot breath tickling her face.  
Ty Lee slightly parted her lips as – _

__

____

_____ _

The acrobat jolted awake and for a moment she thought to have awoken with a shriek.  
Her hand clutched at her chest, her rapid heartbeat feeling as if it would jump right out of her ribcage any second.

  
She was initially dizzy from rising so suddenly, but quickly realized where she was and that it was _just_ a dream and that Azula was sound asleep.  
The Princess wasn’t Fire Lord and she certainly wasn’t about to _kiss_ her.  
She unconsciously touched her lips and wondered about what would have happened if the dream had continued and why she felt disappointment that it didn’t. She felt her cheeks flushing and growing hot at that.

_  
_ It was still dark and Ty Lee fell back into a lying position with a thud.

  
She was so confused and bewildered by the dream and all the sensations she was feeling. And right now there was no way she could channel the accumulated energy that coursed through her veins.  
She pressed her lids tightly together, tossed and turned, hoping that sleep would find her but it was to no avail. She was restless.  
The thunderstorm was long gone, mute flashing lights in the distance and the remaining strong wind were the only ones testifying its existence. But there was still an even bigger storm raging on in the acrobat’s mind and body.

  
Her screaming thoughts quickly became unbearable in this silence and she groaned inwardly.  
She needed to do something, anything to distract herself for her dawning conclusion is way too frightening to grasp and least of all to accept.

  
Just when she was already out of the room, she heard that Azula’s breathing significantly quickened and grew more labored.  
Uncertain of what to do she left her hand glued on the door, she looked pensively at Azula’s sleeping figure.  
The acrobat knew better than to tear her out of her sleep but the worry about her having a nightmare outweighed her fear of repercussions.  
With determined steps she strode to the Princess’s bed albeit it felt as if she’d walked right into the lion’s den.

  
“Azula,” she spoke in a quiet soft voice to the sleeping beauty, whose back faced Ty Lee, timidly placing a hand on her shoulder.

  
Before Ty Lee could gently shake her into wakefulness, a sudden motion almost as quick as lightning itself catapulted her onto the bed on her back.  
Ty Lee yelped loudly as her one arm twisted painfully by Azula’s grip, while Azula’s other hand brought a threatening condensed blue flame to her neck, rendering her completely still – one wrong move and she’d be dead in the blink of an eye.

  
She was on top of Ty Lee and the acrobat had expected a defensive reaction but not such a quick and lethal one as the one she displayed right now.

  
“Azula! It’s me, Ty Lee!” she couldn’t suppress the shaking and desperation in her voice.

The Princess snapped out of her instinct-induced trance and instantly freed the girl below her out of her deathly grip.

  
“What do you think you’re doing?” the Princess snapped and shook off the remaining drowsiness. 

  
“Damn, you didn’t lose one ounce of your reactivity,” she chuckled nervously, feeling mildly shy while Azula climbed off of her.  
Ty Lee had earlier set out of bed to distract herself from certain thoughts, and Azula being on top of her, covered only in her robe, didn’t help the slightest.

  
“Explain,” Azula demanded and the acrobat was amazed by the fact that she hadn’t been burned yet.

  
“I meant no harm, I swear!” she straightened herself and sat on her knees, facing the upset girl in front of her.

  
“Your breathing was weird and I thought that you were having a nightmare,” Ty Lee’s brows were raised in uncertainty. 

Azula gazed intently at her and it made the other girl squirm.  
She exhaled at last, “Don’t ever do that again, I can’t guarantee for your safety if you do,”

  
“Next time I will throw a pillow at you then,” her bubbliness returned upon hearing of Azula’s probably unintentional display of caring. Ty Lee thought that Azula was warming up to her again and it made her even more happy and careless.

  
“This is considered as assaulting royalty and is punishable with death,” Azula shot her a half-hearted glare but she really didn’t mean it.  
If Ty Lee wouldn’t die by her hand, Azula wouldn’t let her die by anyone else’s.

  
“You’re no fun,” she pouted and fiddled with her braid. The Princess just shrugged.

  
“Do you maybe want to talk about your dream?” Ty Lee inquired, excited that she might not have to spend the rest of the night alone with her own troubling thoughts.

  
“No,” she deadpanned and rose from the bed, retightened the knot holding her robe and went to the bathroom.

  
When the Princess returned quickly after, she noted that Ty Lee still hadn’t left her bed, “Why are you still on my bed?” she inquired coldly.

  
“Since we are both awake I thought we could throw an impromptu slumber-party!” Azula only sighed as she slid down next to the excited acrobat. How could she just be so energetic in the middle of the night?

  
Strangely enough, Azula didn’t really mind Ty Lee on her bed. She got awfully quick used to her closeness again.  
When they were hunting the Avatar, it was inevitable to get used to it and after a while she even sometimes found it pleasant – being human and all.  
But Azula didn’t think that it would _not_ bother her after everything.

  
“Why are you awake anyway?” she propped herself on her elbow.

  
Ty Lee felt her cheeks flush again at the reminder of her weird dream, “I’ve dreamt strange things and jolted awake. I wasn’t able to fall asleep again,” it was the truth, the Princess didn’t have to know about their almost kiss though.

It was still dark but Ty Lee could clearly see the Princess’ disinterested features.

  
“I dreamt about you, well not solely but still,” that sparked Azula’s curiosity as she gazed at her expectantly.

  
“What great things did I archive to keep you awake at night?” a self-assured smirk plastered the Princess’ face.

  
“Do you really want to know?” Ty Lee’s face lit up with excitement to see Azula being interested in her story for real, though it made her forget about the delicate details she had yet to hide.

  
“I asked, didn’t I?” and with that the acrobat shifted out of her uncomfortable sitting position to lay on her stomach, her chin supported by her two arms as she happily began retelling her dream.

  
She told her about the thin line she had to walk, about the floating islands and how much she wished that these were real and how she felt a presence behind her and felt immediately safe.  
Upon hearing about the last part, Azula changed her own position slightly to shrug off that weird feeling. She couldn’t possibly feel _jealousy_ because of a silly dream and the petty fact that someone gave that flighty girl security.

  
Unaware of Azula’s uncomfortable shift, she continued talking about the rapid shifts and how she ended up in the Royal Palace Garden.

  
Her initial bubbliness grew quieter when she recalled that particular scene. Ty Lee had never seen Azula cry before.  
There had been extremely rare occasions when they had been smaller, however, where the Princess was close to crying but always won the fight. Ty Lee had seen the pain, nonetheless.

  
Azula had never let Mai see that kind of emotional display.

  
“It was in the middle of the night and it had such an eerie feeling to it, I was so scared I thought something scary would come launching at me anytime. Instead I saw a young version of you, cowering at the pond,” she looked at the Princess and saw her narrowing her eyes at that.

  
“It was heartbreaking, you sat there and asked me..,” Ty Lee paused, she was uncertain about that part. She didn’t know how Azula would react and she herself had never wondered before if Azula maybe became a self-fulfilled prophecy.

  
“What did I ask you?” Azula grew impatient, surprised that this conversation wasn’t half as boring and dull as she thought it to be.

  
“You asked me if it’s true that you’re a monster,” she said in a quiet tone, “I was unable to move or say anything, I badly wanted to tell you otherwise but I couldn’t.”

  
A shallow laughter erupted from the Princess, “That’s _pathetic_. Now, why would you want to lie to me like that?”

  
Her voice was laced with coldness, but Ty Lee couldn’t help but feel hurt in her place at that reaction.  
She might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but she possessed high emotional intelligence and could clearly sense from Azula’s aura that it’d hit close to home.

  
Ty Lee unconsciously got closer to the reclining Prodigy, “It’s the truth! If only you could see yourself with my ey –“

  
“Then what, Ty Lee?” Azula interrupted her agitated, “I don’t need to see myself through your eyes, I see the fear in them all the same,” she snarled and Ty Lee involuntarily flinched a bit, proving the Princess painfully right.

The smaller girl wanted to seek comfort in snuggling into Azula’s pillow but she just couldn’t keep silent.

  
“W-Well, you _are_ intimidating, Azula, but that doesn’t mean that you are an evil monster with no cure,” Ty Lee protested, hugging the pillow anyway.

  
“I’ve never believed it,” the acrobat added, her gaze determined.

  
“And I could never believe any of these words for I am perfectly aware of what I am and what purpose I serve,” she retorted blankly.

  
“And _I_ wouldn’t be lying here with you, this close, enjoying our conversation if I’d really think this way,” she countered and snuggled even closer to the Princess until their arms were almost touching. Ty Lee felt inwardly quite smug, thinking that she made a very clever point.

  
She knew immediately how mistaken she was when she spotted a mischievous glint in Azula’s eyes.

  
“Is that so?” she asked with a fake sugary voice and before Ty Lee could react, she swung herself swiftly above her, trapping both of her arms with one hand and placed two fingers directly at her throat in one quick motion.

  
Ty Lee’s eyes went wide and her mouth agape, but not because of the threat at hand, but because Azula was actually _straddling_ her and the robe was quite _revealing_ in that position.

  
The Princess came even closer to her, lowering her upper body onto hers until their chests touched and whispering, “Tell me again just how _safe_ you feel with me,” she drawled smugly, not paying any mind to their position, the close body contact.

  
The acrobat’s first instinct was to fight her grip but that was exactly what the Princess expected.  
Instead she laid perfectly still, not resisting, and closed her eyes.

  
“I trust you, Azula. You may do whatever you want. I won’t resist, that’s how much I trust you,” she calmly stated but grew infinitely embarrassed and flushed at that unintentional suggestive remark, but a part of her didn’t feel sorry at all.

  
Azula was thoroughly intrigued and released Ty Lee from her grip. The Princess now sat rather than laying on the acrobat and watched in pleasant surprise that the girl remained completely still.  
Her fingers twitched with the desire to prove her awfully wrong but it was this pure display of _submissiveness_ that swept her completely away.

  
Ty Lee just showed her an absolute new way to enforce dominance and the rush made her forget that it was a _girl_ lying beneath her and Ty Lee at that.  
Azula was wholly taken by this rush, her teenage hormones tingling uncontrollably in a way the Princess hadn’t known before.

  
In her normal state Azula would’ve been utterly repulsed and disgusted by the thoughts racing through her head. Right now, however, they seemed deliciously tempting.

  
“You shouldn’t have said that,” Azula purred in a never heard before deep voice, prompting Ty Lee to inhale sharply.

She remained silent but was anxious and weirdly _excited_.  
The acrobat could feel the muscles in Azula’s thighs tensing for a moment as she slightly bend over the girl to place a hand on her chest. She didn’t touch her breasts, yet, but it touched her starting cleavage.

  
Her other hand started gripping at her exposed waist, her hands were incredibly hot and left a trail of fire as one hand roamed her upper body – she stayed clear though of any delicate areas – and the other her flat stomach.

  
“Tell me Ty Lee, how many boys have seen you like that just so could feel better about yourself?” she taunted, rising her hand to her throat and giving it a light squeeze.

  
As the girl opened her eyes again, she was met with burning golden eyes, piercing right into hers.  
She should’ve felt uneasy at that predatory smirk or how her hands touched her body. She should’ve stopped this game that seemed to spiral out of control any minute, but it felt anything but uneasy and it felt too exhilarating to stop.

  
“None did, Azula,” she heard herself saying, but her voice felt off. It sounded daring albeit _sultry_ , something Azula picked up upon. She unconsciously bit her lower lip after saying it.

  
“Doesn’t it feel uncomfortable, Ty Lee? Why don’t you resist?” She mocked her and ran an exemplary finger down her stomach until it reached her waistband. First it was one finger and then two which slid beneath the waistband, eliciting a gasp from the girl.

  
“I-I trust that you won’t hurt or v-violate me,” the contortionist was barely able to speak from her overloaded senses. She eyed Azula’s still hand that rested on her stomach and could clearly feel the two fingers that were dangerously close to her panties. She really wanted to hate this right there, right then, but it was simply too thrilling.

  
“And if I were?” her fingers dared to dig deeper, but Azula never intended to go all the way, she just relished this newfound form of power too much. The squirming and gasping were the most beautiful sounds to her ears in that moment.

  
Her averted gaze and the silence on Ty Lee’s part had a serious vibe to it and it cleared Azula’s haze mostly.

  
She withdrew her fingers and hand altogether and gracefully climbed off of her.

  
“You may have won this battle, but I will win the war,” Azula simply remarked and kicked her out of bed, telling her to go to sleep now.

  
Sleep never seemed farther away to Ty Lee as she fell down onto her own bed, but eventually she fell asleep, wondering if something monumental happened between the two of them that would alter both their ways of regarding one another.


	10. Chapter 10

Dread.  
  


Ever since she woke up, dread filled her system and she couldn’t wrap her head around it. Only when she encountered the Princess in the kitchen she knew that she was the reason she felt unbalanced.

  
The previous evening rolled in her head like precious gems.   
The brilliance was blinding her, smooth gold distorting the distinction she’d never had problems making before in her head. But the question kept swirling around in her mind.

  
Did friends do what they had done last night?

  
Ty Lee realized that thinking this way was futile and pointless. Their friendship had never been normal in the first place, so why should she wonder if that exhilarating game of trust and power had been any divergence? If at all, it maybe had been bound to happen – a symptom of the intensity of their friendship.

  
Abnormality had turned into normality long ago and thus Ty Lee shouldn’t feel as shaken as she did.

  
When there had been the Princess lurking in her mind, it now were the reappearing images in her head – starring none other than Azula, of course.  
Images of the cut-short walk last night, the Princess emitting invincible confidence and the acrobat’s lit-up aura in utter admiration.   
Images of being straddled, Azula’s rather revealing robe and the feeling of heat that couldn’t have entirely stemmed from the thrill of being dominated like that.

  
Ty Lee timidly glanced over at Azula. She wasn’t behaving any different, she was still her regal, beautiful self. Her eyes were cryptic, her thoughts encoded – oh, how the smaller girl wished to decode all of her stony stares.

  
Earlier, they had been walking through the village, clad in their warrior garb, to the designated house they were tasked to help rebuild.   
On their way they had heard about the latest news.

  
It took quite some time until it had reached Kyoshi, but eventually news spread that all contact to Princess Azula’s ship had been lost and it was suspected to have surrendered to a big storm.  
  


It was _the_ topic among locals, their opinions ranging from relieved that she might be dead, angry that she got away from justice and uncertain that she might have hijacked the boat and was out to get revenge.  
  


Little did they know that she was already among them and certainly sought her own justice. She knew that patience was bitter but its fruit would be delightfully sweet.  
It hadn’t even been two weeks and yet Azula was already strategically placing her pawns on the chessboard.   
She were never one to waste time, she’d executed all of her tasks as efficiently and precisely as humanly possible but to implement her enormous plan she had less than two months.

  
Less than two months and her father would be accounted for all of his crimes, all of his atrocities. He would never again see daylight, though she wouldn’t rule out the possibility that these barbarians of Earth Kingdom people might want to condemn him to a slow and excruciating death.

  
She had depressingly few options and there were way too many volatile variables.   
To not lose track of the bigger picture, she had to do it step by step. The ones she had to concentrate on were Ty Lee and Nami.   
Azula had been feeling irritated ever since last night.   
  


She herself took away her own control, _again_.  
  


She had used yet again fear and intimidation whereas she specifically had planned not to. As much as she hated to depend on anyone else that wasn’t herself, Ty Lee’s allegiance was indispensable.  
  


Judging from the events of last night, however, Azula was already certain that she had her wrapped around her finger, without really meaning to at first.  
She had a great little puppet soldier at her side, one who could twist and turn and help her reopen the doors to her true path.   
Something tugged at her while thinking about it that way. Azula knew that her plan was anything but bulletproof and that no matter how hard she calculated, no matter how rigorous she’d plan her every move, it came pretty close to a suicide mission.

  
She groaned loudly. She wasn’t one to be bothered by the lives of others, even less so if it interfered with what she needed to get what she wanted.  
  


“What is it?” Ty Lee asked, not yet knowing about the change within Azula that she had obliviously ignited. Only Azula was even more unaware of it.

  
The Kyoshi Warriors were assigned to help in the main village. They were each paired up and helped tearing down the burned parts of the destroyed houses, forming the basis to rebuild them.  
Ty Lee was paired up with Azula, of course.   
Suki had told her to have a close eye on her while she would meet up with the council.   
  


In the wake of the new era, the Earth Kingdom had put pressure on Kyoshi Island to unite with the Kingdom.   
With new technology and with the Fire Nation losing its supremacy over the sea, the Earth Kingdom strove to expand and they wanted Kyoshi back as a part of them, with its rich access to a unique and vast reservoir of maritime life.  
  


“This work is thoroughly insulting. The training serves at least some purpose in fine-tuning my combat skills. This right here is downright useless,” Azula had to restrain herself to not set the remainder of the house she’s supposed to rebuild on fire.  
  


“The fight is over, so we can focus on other things, too,” Ty Lee tried to be upbeat about it, even though she herself wasn’t really enjoying it. Like Azula, she’d rather they had trained until they’d collapsed, that way she could for once put her mind off of what had happened yesterday.

  
“I’ve been fighting my whole life, I don’t intend to stop now,” Azula simply said as she ripped out yet another piece of burnt wood.

  
“My fight is far from over,” there was so much determination within her voice.

  
Ty Lee gazed empathically at her, knowing how hard it had been on her ever since. The acrobat started to wonder if Azula ever took a breath and felt _free_ , really free.   
Growing up with the Princess, she had experienced firsthand under what pressure Azula had constantly stood.   
  


The Royal Palace had quickly become her second home, since they hadn’t really cared for her at her own. She had experienced all the endless hours Azula would bend and bend until she was almost collapsing. She had experienced all of her intense studying sessions, how she never cut herself some slack and just relaxed.

  
She had often heard Zuko whine about Azula being better than him, brushing it off as “luck” she was born with. But Ty Lee hadn’t ever seen him train as hard and as much as she did each and every day.   
Azula had never rested on her success, she was always pushing further and further.

  
She hadn’t slowed down when her fire turned blue, hadn’t slowed down when she began to bend lightening.  
  


Ty Lee let the piece of wood in her hand fall and went over to Azula. She gently laid one hand onto her shoulder protector and said with a small but caring smile, “You’re not alone in this, _Katsumi_. In the end I always end up being by your side, this time isn’t any different,”  
  


She was literally pledging allegiance to her on a voluntary basis and Azula should’ve felt good about it but somehow she just couldn’t.  
  


She didn’t retreat her hand so Azula wanted to brush it off, but not before resting on her hand for a moment too long.

  
“It’s not yours to fight, you’d be just another unnecessary casualty,” she tried to employ her harsh, cold voice but it didn’t come out as strong.  
  


Azula weren’t one to easily trust and especially after Sozin’s Comet her ability to do so was almost non-existent.   
  


But then there was Ty Lee, dear traitorous Ty Lee.

  
She had always been fond of this girl and in rare weaker moments she had found her carefree personality admirable. She might have often called her dumb and other mean things, but she’d always known that she was simply a product of her insecurity and that she had lots of potential beneath that shallow ever-grinning mask.

  
Azula sincerely thought that she wouldn’t – no, that she _couldn’t_ – ever trust her again, that the sole thought about it itself was outright absurd.

  
The Princess had initially wanted Ty Lee to prove herself. She had pictured her betraying all of her friends, pictured her agony upon realizing that Ty Lee herself brought them down. It wasn’t as appealing to her anymore as it was a week ago, though.

  
In the beginning the acrobat was - rightfully - scared of being close to Azula since the Princess had shown violently just how much she’d despised her for what she had done to her.   
But last night …  
  


“I wouldn’t mind going down for a good cause,” she said in a playful, cheery tone to deflect the seriousness of that topic. She resumed her task, while Azula was still deep in thoughts.  
  


The events of last night didn’t leave the acrobat alone.

  
It had been on her mind ever since she woke up and continued to accompany her throughout the day.   
In her desperation to find the “stop-button” she broke the replay button instead.

  
These thoughts eventually became overbearing; they became as dominant in her head as Azula had been, hovering above her, straddling her, her aura flaring in a crimson red.   
It should’ve been obvious to her by then just what exactly caused that ruckus in her head, but in the end she settled on _excessive admiration_ for the Princess. She had always been a master in play pretend after all.

  
The work they were assigned with was unfortunately only mildly distracting since the dull task didn’t require much of her attention. The repetitious movements of ripping out the burnt pieces and throwing them on a pile became automatic quickly.  
  


“You will train with me,” Azula’s firm voice pulled Ty Lee back into reality and she lit up immediately after processing these words with a slight delay. It had been completely out of the blue to the contortionist, whereas Azula was entertaining that idea ever since Ty Lee had suggested it.

  
Ty Lee had to suppress a giggle at Azula’s phrasing. She didn’t ask, she demanded and Ty Lee was oddly content with it.  
  


“Really? That’s awesome, it will be so cool! When will we start? This evening? Oh Agni, this will be so much fun!” the acrobat couldn’t help but ramble, she felt overly excited at the prospect of exchanging and testing her skills one-on-one with the firebender.  
  


“Not tonight, I already arranged a meeting with Nami,” she replied flatly.  
  


“You’re meeting up with Nami again?” It was too late to hide her discontent in her sentence, but Azula couldn’t be bothered by it. “Can I come, too?”

  
“Yes, I’m meeting her again and no, you may not,” the rejection rolled effortlessly off of her tongue, leaving Ty Lee even more displeased.  
  


“But why? We are all comrades! I mean, it’s not like it’s some sort of date, right?” Ty Lee grew uncertain about where this was heading. “Right?”

  
“Don’t be ridicioulous, Ty Lee. I don’t do girls,” It was a bold statement and the acrobat felt warmth spreading to her cheeks. She was simply unable to comprehend Azula saying “do” and “girls” in one sentence.  
  


“I’ve never seen a boy striking your interest either,” they both knew that Chan had been simply an object for the Princess to prove herself capable of being a normal teenager.  
Ty Lee was happy with herself to have managed saying a coherent sentence in spite of unnatural images flashing her mind.  
  


“If we disregard your unjustified interest in my preferences, I don’t do either. Romance is not a distraction I want to indulge in,” her stern voice reflected what she felt inside. If there ever had been a place for romance somewhere in her heart, it was gone by now. How could she bother with something so insignificant when she plotted her way to world domination?  
  


“Would you tell me if it would be a date?” Ty Lee inquired innocently.

  
“You would be the first to know,” The Princess rolled her eyes, the casual sarcasm rolling off of her tongue as effortlessly as rejection.  
  
  
“I would tell you,” she chirped, knowing fully well that Azula had been never one to share very private things.

  
“Don’t. Otherwise we wouldn’t be talking about anything else,” She retorted as she airily waved her hand.

  
“I haven’t had a date in ages. Besides, I’m not interested in any of the boys here on this island,” She tapped at her chin with her finger, thinking about the last time she had had a date. It’d certainly been ages.

  
“I highly doubt that you ever were interested in any of your boy toys,” Azula had always been an excellent observer, but it didn’t take much to see behind the acrobat’s attention seeking behavior.

  
“Well, girls just wanna have fun,” She winked at her with a frisky smile and something at that sight made Azula’s insides tingle again, reminding her of last night yet again. To her misfortune, she had _teenage hormones_ poisoning her system and they had certainly picked up upon the innuendo of her statement.

  
The Princess might not know anything about something as useless and gruesome as love or relationships, but she certainly knew what women possessed that would make them infinitely the stronger sex.

  
_Seduction_.

  
She had read about it. She had read about the power that brought the strongest men to their knees.

  
The Princess knew she was the most beautiful person and thus could own this very distinct discipline herself, but fear and raw strength had always worked more in her favor. Not to mention that someone like her needn’t to seduce when she could just _take_ what she wanted. It would be simply degrading to do it any other way.

  
Men who had led a thousand armies and executed a thousand deaths could be brought down by delicate women, who couldn’t even take down a single person.

  
Fortunately, she as a woman herself saw no posed risk by it but this somehow didn’t reassure her entirely. She was facing a master, after all. A master of another discipline that didn’t include acrobatics and chi-blocking.

  
Ty Lee was a flirt, a _tease_ and her second nature didn’t seem to cease on Azula’s threshold.

  
~~~  
  


“Tell me, where are you _really_ from?,” Azula asked intentionally without her usual bite as they were wandering through the village in the late evening. Nami was surprised at that question, not having anticipated that they would be talking about it again.   
  


The Princess had held back a lot when the two of them met up, trying to come across as friendly and trustworthy as she could. They had mostly talked about the war which made it at least a bit less boring but also once about where they came from. Nami had told Azula that she’d been from a small town in the Earth Kingdom and got to Kyoshi by chance. But the Princess had seen the uncertainty in her eyes, heard her voice climbing up half an octave.

  
She knew Nami had been lying then and tonight the Princess would find out if she’d been right all along.

  
“I can clearly see that you’re not from here, or the Earth Kingdom at that,” Azula added boldly, not wanting to waste any more time.

  
Earlier that evening they had met up in a tavern in the main village. To loosen Nami’s tongue she’d ordered wine for the two of them. Azula didn’t like alcohol much as it impaired her ability to think clearly, but ever since she and her mind had gone different ways and she didn’t fully recover of their temporary separation yet, she could at least choose deliberately for it to be not as sharp as usual. It was also partly to suggest an intimate setting to make her more willing to reveal secrets.

  
Reluctance was written all over Nami and the fear in her stomach started to boil.

  
“I-I don’t know what you mean, I’ve already told you where I’m from,” Nami chuckled nervously.   
  


She was much older than Azula but it still felt like a scared little child would walk next to her, afraid of the repercussions of having lied. And it was painfully obvious now that she had lied, her fidgeting hands and her averted gaze confirming the Princess’ assumption.

  
“You know,” Azula started while she clasped her hands behind her back as she gazed out at the ocean. They had arrived at the beach near Ty Lee’s house and were now all alone and out of earshot of any potential eavesdropper.

  
“I have the feeling that we are connected through more than just our uniform and I’m convinced that we can benefit each other,” her light tone from earlier vanished and was replaced by her more natural regal tone. Her infamous silver tongue had made solid cities fluid, they’d been wax in her hands ready to be formed to her will, and she was absolutely certain that Nami wouldn’t be an exception.

  
Azula faced the ocean still, her posture imposing and collected.  
Nami was still contemplating it, but something about Azula made her want to comply.

  
“I’m originally from Guilin, a former Fire Nation Colony south of Neo Oz – Omashu,” she said at last, her voice was slightly trembling. The fear of being found out had been a loyal companion ever since, but never would she have thought that her own mouth would spill her secret eventually.  
  


Unseen by Nami, Azula was smirking victoriously. She had been right all along.

  
“What are you afraid of? It’s nothing out of the ordinary to be from the colonies. But you weren’t born there, now were you?” The Princess turned to Nami who was a few feet away from her, Azula’s expression left no room for any kind of denial.

  
The other warrior was aghast, all she could do was to agree silently.

  
“You’re originally Fire Nation,” Azula cocked one eyebrow, it was more of a statement than a question.

  
She gasped as she fully comprehended that it was out in the open now, “I beg you, please, don’t tell anyone!”

  
“But why?” Azula inquired mischievously, “Ty Lee is Fire Nation, too,” she feigned ignorance.   
  


“Be-Because…,” Nami started but stopped. She took a moment and started again.

  
“My parents were given a high administrative position in Guilin. After Fire Lord Ozai had fallen they were arrested for being affiliated with his regime and I had to flee,” her rather round facial features contorted with anger.

  
“They took them away from me… I still don’t know where they are,” she said through gritted teeth, her angered expression colored with deep sorrow. Normally Nami was better in keeping her mask intact but the alcohol made her inhibitions run low.

  
Azula was very satisfied with Nami’s revelation, satisfied with the way it pained the other warrior. It would be just too easy to exploit Nami’s apparent weakness for her own ends.  
People who were driven by pain always took greater risks, went greater lengths and Azula could feel it in her twitching fingertips, aching to take over the world, that fate played in her favor.

  
“If you want to see your parents again, you are to obey _me_ and me alone,” Azula said imperiously and relished the effect it had on Nami.

  
The other warrior was speechless for a moment, stunned by this sudden turn of Katsumi, until she asked incredulously, “How? What? Wh-who are _you_?”

  
“I’m your best chance to see you dear parents ever again,” she smirked self-assured.

~~~

It was late, way too late already and Azula still hadn’t come home yet. Ty Lee knew that Azula, more often than not, went out and only returned later in the evening. But today she was with Nami and she still hadn’t come home yet!

  
The acrobat grew more and more irritated as the evening progressed until she couldn’t take it anymore and went out to distract herself with acrobatics.   
She opened the door and was met with a refreshing salty breeze. It was a rather cold night but Ty Lee welcomed it.

  
She cartwheeled from the tiny veranda onto the sand and took some steps on her hands when she spotted a figure upside-down on the beach. _Azula_!

  
Ty Lee smoothly transitioned from a handstand into a standing position and took eager steps towards the statuesque Princess.

  
She stood by the ocean as the waves serenely rolled by. Her hands were clasped tightly behind her back, her military posture looking as if she would stand in front of soldiers, giving an inspirational speech. A smile found its way onto Ty Lee’s face and she slowed down.

  
Azula didn’t seem to notice her and so she gently made herself apparent.

  
“Hey Azula,” she said eagerly, glad to see her again. Ever since they had spent so much time together again, the hours separated from her always seemed to drag on forever and she disliked it a lot. Judging by Azula’s reaction, she didn’t quite feel the same way. She barely acknowledged her presence.

  
“What are you still doing out here?” Ty Lee got closer as she asked.

  
“What does it look like, Ty Lee?” she asked flatly, not turning her head around. Her eyes, however, were fixed on the approaching acrobat. The wind carried Azula’s alcoholic breath to the acrobat, who was completely taken aback as she picked up upon it.

  
“You smell like alcohol, did you drink?” she asked exasperated and at that Azula loosened her stance and turned to the smaller girl. The momentary peace gone.

  
“I might have had a glass or two,” she shrugged, knowing that it was unusual of her.

  
Unbelieving big eyes stared directly into hers and the acrobat noticed that her expression was almost… _content_? It certainly lacked its usual edge.

  
The gears within Ty Lee’s head began working as she put the pieces together.

  
Azula. Meeting with Nami. Drinking. Almost content expression.

  
“So it was a date after all!” she almost shrieked as her head came up with the only reasonable explanation and pointed her finger at Azula as if she’d just exposed her.   
Azula just sighed, annoyed at hearing about _that_ again.

  
“You were taught enough etiquette as nobility to not point your finger at royalty,” she said haughtily and brushed past her.   
But Ty Lee didn’t let her statement distract her. She went after the Princess who headed home.

  
“So, is it true?”

  
Right before they reached the door Azula stopped abruptly on the veranda and turned around. Ty Lee was almost crashing directly into the Princess again but could stop just before that happened.  
They were standing close and neither took a step back.

  
“Ty Lee, it’s getting annoying. What exactly makes you think I would date _girls_?” She crossed her arms and looked intently at the smaller girl with a cocked brow.   
Ty Lee shrunk under Azula’s gaze and when she tried to conjure a reason, she came up short.

  
“Well, you are always in command and normally men take over control,” she felt her cheeks slightly heating up in embarrassment at that rather silly reasoning. Ty Lee didn’t know why she didn’t let it go or why she was so incessant about it.  
  


It was somehow fun but it also stung somewhere. She figured wanting to be at the Princess’ side required being a masochist on some level.

  
Azula internally agreed to that; she _really_ couldn’t see herself submitting to anyone, much less to some pretentious noble man. But in her mind she would come out as the sole Empress of the world, anyway, not having to commit to some man by tradition.

  
“So, you toy with boys by day and they toy with you by night?” Azula taunted, the control over the unwanted images in her head rolling off of her tongue as quick as the ambiguity of her words.

  
“Azula!” she exclaimed, stunned. If her cheeks had been slightly reddened before, they were now a dark shade of a tomato. Normally, she had liked to discuss boys with her friends but hearing Azula saying something like _this_ flustered her enormously.

  
The Princess felt significantly superior at that sight, even though Ty Lee was actually superior to her experience-wise in that area.

  
“I don’t let anyone toy with me,” she sounded slightly offended by the Princess’ last comment. Did she really think she would make out with every boy that crossed her way?

  
“Except for you,” she muttered under her breath.

  
“I don’t know what you mean,” she feigned innocence, “I never play,”

  
“Oh, really? And what about last night?” the acrobat asked defiantly, while she perfectly knew that the Princess statement was dripping with sarcasm.

  
“It certainly seemed like you were enjoying that little _game_ of ours,” her smug face not faltering upon the smaller girl’s defiance.

  
“And if I did? It’s not like you’d gone through with it anyways,” Ty Lee couldn’t explain herself why she acted the way she did. It wasn’t like she wanted her to go through with whatever they were getting at, right? It was just excessive admiring, wasn’t it?

  
The acrobat was yet again distressed and above all confused because of Azula.

  
The Princess thought that she would never get used to Ty Lee acting this defiant and neither would she want to. She had to put a stop to it, show her something that – in Ty Lee’s opinion – only men do.

  
Azula grabbed her by the collar and swung her around, against the wooden door. The movement wasn’t as fast as she thought it would be and ultimately blamed the alcohol that still cursed through her veins. Ty Lee could’ve blocked Azula’s grip but that was one thing she couldn’t bring herself to do.

  
“It is as if you’re _begging_ me to do it,” she ridiculed her _disobedience_.

  
“I think of it more of a _dare_ ,” the smaller girl was too stubborn to back out of it even though she should’ve seen that this sequel of their game last night was already going too far. Again.

  
The Princess was never one to turn down a challenge she would certainly win, so she grabbed Ty Lee’s hands in one hand and pinned them above her head.

  
Ty Lee inhaled sharply at the force Azula used. What in Agni’s name were they doing?

  
The acrobat felt the familiar thrilling rush of last night resurging and found that even if she wanted to, she simply _couldn’t_ stop _._

_  
_ The Princess had been so sure of herself before, certain that she could wipe that look out of Ty Lee’s face, but she wasn’t any of that anymore as she gazed into her eyes, in this intimate position. Azula hadn’t foreseen how her body would react to this situation as her hormones made her painfully aware that this was in fact quite the _sexual_ predicament she found herself in.

  
Ty Lee had been surprised at first but then spotted rare uncertainty in the girl’s golden eyes that made her sure of victory.   
The change within Ty Lee’s eyes didn’t go unnoticed and the Princess knew she was on the verge of losing.

  
This was all it took to make the Princess forget about anything and everything. She would _not back out_.

  
And then it happened.  
  


Ty Lee hadn’t had enough time to brace herself for the soft, warm _lips_ that came crashing down on her. It felt as if all the air in her lungs left her body, she was instantly breathless. She really hadn’t thought it through and had forgotten in the heat of their game just what it meant to provoke Azula like that.

  
It wasn’t tender but rather forceful the way the Princess pressed her lips onto hers. Her grip on the acrobat’s hand tightened and with it the control Azula held over her.

  
The Princess’ head swam in all the weird sensations she felt, the alcohol not helping but only intensifying. She was almost losing focus, forgetting what this had been initially about.   
Her hand reached out to Ty Lee’s face but not to affectionately hold it.

  
The acrobat held perfectly still, only slightly reciprocating the pressure on her lips.

  
It was when the Princess tilted her head and opened Ty Lee’s mouth slightly with her hands that the girl’s knees started to buckle.

  
Azula fully claimed her, their lips fully connected and intertwined just like their symbiosis used to be.

  
It was getting harder and harder to hold her hands above them, so she let them out of her grip and moved her hands instead to Ty Lee’s hips whereas the acrobat’s hand flew to Azula’s shoulder to support herself.

  
The force Azula used within all of her actions didn’t hurt the other girl, but she should’ve felt appalled by it though it only fueled her excitement further. It was already too late before she could stifle it.   
  


A low, tiny moan escaped Ty Lee and Azula felt like she would lose all control at once. Losing control had never felt better than this.

  
She pulled the acrobat tightly to her but it wasn’t close enough for her more primal instincts. All the layers of the Kyoshi uniform refrained the Princess from _really_ feeling the body that was pressed against hers. Refrained her from feeling the chest that was so deliciously pressed against hers.

  
She deepened the kiss with the overwhelming need to feel _more_. Ty Lee’s hands wandered in response to her neck to pull her even closer if that was possible.

  
Both girls clung to each other as if they would be magnets drawn to each other, unable to let go.   
  


Above and beyond any reason.

  
It was only when the Princess heard a distinct “ _click_ ” that she was brought back to the present moment. Ty Lee’s hand had moved to her shoulder protectors and worked to undo them. It took her a lot to concentrate on anything else than the feel of Ty Lee’s full lips but she realized where this was heading and stopped dead in her tracks.

  
The pressure that had built up in the pit of her stomach urged her to continue, to move further but it was none other than Ty Lee making her feel this way and that was just absurd.

  
The Princess took all the strength she could find to break the kiss, which elicited a small whimper at the sudden loss of contact by the acrobat.

  
Azula’s gaze never left the pleading one of Ty Lee, while she wiped her smudged lipstick away with her arm.

  
A few moments passed and only their accelerated breathing could be heard until Azula said at last, “You should know better than to dare me.”


	11. Chapter 11

The day was sweltering and Ty Lee should’ve felt relived that they yet again were assigned to help rebuild the main village instead of exercising all day long.

  
But she wasn’t happy at all about it, the pent-up energy within her needed to be released somehow. The dull task was giving her unoccupied mind way too many opportunities to wander off to places she didn’t think she would ever explore. And being all alone with Azula only made it worse.

  
Regardless of her complicated state of mind, she tried to play it all cool and act completely normal in front of Azula. Seeing how the Princess didn’t even look the slightest bit fazed ate at her. Then again, why should Azula be affected by it in any way?

  
It had been all a game – one she’d been secretly aching to play again. But it wasn’t real and Ty Lee knew what pushed Azula’s buttons and she also knew too well that the acrobat herself called her emotional misery upon herself with pushing exactly those.

  
Lately she grew more and more confused about her own course of action when it came to the Prodigy.

  
Why had she pushed it so far, knowing exactly that someone as fierce as Azula would definitely _not_ turn down a challenge? Even if that challenge meant to kiss a _girl_.

  
And why had she tried to take off Azula’s shoulder protectors? And what had she tried to achieve by taking them off? And what would Ty Lee have done if Azula hadn’t stopped? So many questions, so few answers.

  
The acrobat began to blush faintly, she couldn’t deny the fact that she wouldn’t have stopped it and that she’d _wanted_ to feel her closer. She even had to moan. To _moan_! How embarrassing! Now that she remembered it, she’d like to be swallowed whole by the ground.

  
What did Azula think about it? She clearly hadn’t been put off by it…

  
The acrobat began to study the Princess, watching – subtly – her annoyed expression, how tiny sweat droplets formed on her forehead. She looked so cruelly normal, it was ridiculing Ty Lee’s troubled heart.

  
“Quit staring, Ty Lee,” said Azula’s stern voice. Her stares apparently weren’t as stealthy as the acrobat thought them to be.

  
“No, I wasn’t. I…,” Ty Lee stopped her halfhearted attempt at an excuse and instead simply apologized with an even poorer excuse of a smile.

  
_Great_ , Ty Lee thought, talking about acting normal. Not.

  
And judging by Azula’s expression, she had noticed Ty Lee’s odd behavior. Azula scrutinized her for a moment longer until she wordlessly resumed her task.   
  


It took another two hours of silence and bad attempts at lighthearted conversation on Ty Lee’s part until they were released from their duty. 

  
When they returned home, each one of them took their turn to refresh themselves from the day at work. It was always relieving for Azula to scrub off the obnoxious paint and get into Fire Nation clothes.

  
Right there on Kyoshi Island her nation felt worlds away but something as simple as a set of particular clothes could give her a part of what’d been missing for much too long already.

  
“It disgusts me that even in your free time you’re wearing these muddy Earth Kingdom colors,” Azula sharply remarked as she claimed her seat at the round table, watching the acrobat preparing their dinner.  
  


“Who would’ve thought that pink wasn’t the worst you could wear?” her snide remark hurt Ty Lee surprisingly more than usual. It was painfully obvious just how normal the Princess behaved.

  
“They are actually really comfy,” she just shrugged and tried to not let herself be taunted. She stirred the veggies in the pot and turned around, leaning against the counter.

  
“Your use is greater than rebuilding rightfully burned down houses,” she interlocked her hands and stared at nothing in particular.

  
“I take that as a compliment,” and for the first time that day Ty Lee had to genuinely smile. She picked up two glasses and put one in front of the Princess, silently pouring water into it without being asked to.

  
It was a small gesture and Azula inwardly appreciated it in her own way, she didn’t outwardly show any of it to Ty Lee though.

  
“What are your plans exactly? Withering under the wrong flag until it’s too late?” The Princess asked suddenly, her gaze shifting to Ty Lee, who now sat on the opposite of the table and was taking large gulps of water.

  
When Azula concentrated her attention on the smaller girl, she took one last large gulp that hurt her throat. There was always something about having Azula’s full attention that made the acrobat excited and so, so special.

  
She laughed nervously, “I don’t really have one,” her answer followed more nervous chuckling.

  
“But I do plan to return to the Fire Nation eventually,” she added, tracing the rim of the glass with her fingers.

  
“Why haven’t you yet?” Azula inquired further and Ty Lee was surprised in a good way at her display of interest. The acrobat wasn’t aware of Azula’s hidden agenda and Azula herself wasn’t aware that this wasn’t the only reason she’d asked.

  
“Well, I do miss the Fire Nation, but I’ve found great friends here. And I guess I wasn’t ready yet to face old wounds,” the Princess watched her closely and saw sadness flashing through her otherwise so sparkling eyes. Ty Lee tried to hide it by quickly standing up to check the dinner, but she wasn’t quick enough.

  
Azula only hissed in response, clearly disapproving of her way of handling matters. The Princess understood that she’d been the “old wound” and if it had been up to her, Ty Lee wouldn’t have had to face her at all. Because if it had been up to Azula they wouldn’t have met again and she certainly wouldn’t have been on Kyoshi.

  
But as the two weeks had progressed, the Princess more and more came to terms with one thought that occasionally penetrated her thoughts:

  
She was _glad_ to have met her again.

~~~

After night had fallen and wrapped the island in darkness, Ty Lee and Azula, equipped with their fans and katakana, set out to train together. The acrobat knew a good secluded spot in a nearby forest, since training on the beach was making it needlessly difficult.

  
The sweltering heat from the day was still lingering in the air and the improvised bonfire, to shed light to the dark place in the forest, only increased the surrounding heat.

  
The bonfire reminded the acrobat of their time on Ember Island. She could hardly believe that it hadn’t even been a year and yet everything had changed. Not even her unwavering feelings towards the Princess had been spared. Or so Ty Lee thought at least.

  
She watched as the Princess created light but could suddenly only see gaping darkness. Ty Lee had been running in circles for so long, long before the Princess had come back into her life and confused the hell out of her.

  
First she had thought the sadness over their disastrous parting at the Boiling Rock and later hearing about the Princess’ downfall to be the culprit. Then it was the thought that Azula had been a part of her ever since she could think and that exactly that missing piece was causing her disbalance. Azula, at last, had reappeared in her life and even offered her a second chance, elating the acrobat. But now she looked at the firebender and felt _queasy_.

  
Up until the situation of last night, everything the acrobat had felt could’ve been brushed aside as _excessive admiring_ , as _being glad to be reunited_ , as _normal for friends_ or whatever kind of play pretend she’d liked to make herself believe.

  
But that dream didn’t leave her alone, that almost kiss she had wished for to be a real one. The wish for a true kiss became reality last night but it left her emotional wellbeing disassembled.

  
Right in the moment captivating cerulean flames licked the hand of the most powerful person she would probably ever encounter, Ty Lee felt the mesmerizing flame burning within her as well.

  
Clarity suddenly flooded her thoughts and opened the gates for true emotional _agony_.

  
_Desire_. Ty Lee remembered their breathtaking kiss, the way their bodies were tightly pressed together and how a seemingly insatiable hunger grew within her.

  
She actually _desired_ Azula. Wanted the Princess’ fire to burn for her and for her only.

  
Ty Lee had developed a full-blown _crush_ on her and the sudden realization shook her to the core.

  
She saw Azula’s fire and felt unusually cold. She shuddered when she really comprehended for the first time that her feelings for the Princess were above and beyond friendship. And wondered if they ever had been in the first place.

  
Unbeknownst to the acrobat, tears welled up in her eyes for it felt like she’d been beating around the bush for ages and it now just hit her with full force.

  
Oh, what a fool she was for falling for someone who was a girl. Who didn’t like girls – or romance at that. Whose goals were damn far from traveling, marrying and eventually founding a happy family. Whose future was threaded with uncertainty and possible incarceration or worse.

  
Oh, what a fool she was falling for someone, whose heart had turned to stone.

  
Oh, what a fool she was for falling for _Azula._

_  
_ “Ty Lee, why are you _crying_?” The Princess asked as she drew the katakana out of its sheath. Her voice was laced with annoyance but lacked its usual malice and regal tone. Her annoyance, however, wasn’t able to cover her underlying concern for the girl whose eyes didn’t reflect the small bonfire, but sadness.

  
“Huh?” Ty Lee wiped at her eyes and indeed saw a salty fluid spread on the back of her hand.

  
“Oh, um, some ash flew into my eyes,” she quickly tried to cover it.  
  


The Princess accepted that weak lie since she neither liked to console people nor would she know how to do it anyways.

  
“Let’s start, shall we?” Azula didn’t know how to comfort – even though she almost wished to be able to do so – but she did know about fighting and so that was what they would do.

  
Ty Lee tried to pull herself together, at least for as long as she had to directly face and interact with her. There was always later time to ponder the reoccurring thought that screamed so deafening with the sudden revelation.

  
They stood in front of each other, Ty Lee bowed with her fist at her open lower palm while Azula only nodded but reciprocated the common sign of respect done before training together. They exchanged a look and begun sparring with katakana.

  
Azula hadn’t been fond of weapons, they had been an unnecessary expansion and a nuisance at that. She much more preferred the precision of her competent hands. There was, however, no way she’d be worse at this kind of combat than some Earth Kingdom commoners.

  
Their blades collided again and again and it had been difficult to find a rhythm in the beginning but as the time passed they grew more in sync.

  
Ty Lee had given her subtle tips on how to do better when some difficulties at handling the sword arose, but it was always a balancing act trying to teach the Princess something. She’d apparently managed to do well since Azula hadn’t thrown lightning at her.

  
Given the Prodigies inexperience with swords, the acrobat was quite amazed and impressed at how well she handled it already. Ty Lee had been a mess for weeks and weeks – the sword hadn’t been her weapon of choice either.

  
After they had sparred for another hour they called it quits. The bonfire was replaced by glowing embers when Ty Lee and Azula sat down to catch their breath. The sweltering heat exhausted them twice as fast as usual.

  
Ty Lee sat rather close to Azula but not too close to come across as intrusive and she felt really self-conscious about it. The cracking of the last glowing remnants of the fire were the only sounds beside their subduing labored breathing.

  
The acrobat glanced at the Princess and noticed the shine of sweat on her pale skin due to the practice. She needed to distract herself immediately, otherwise Azula would notice of all of her longing stares and Ty Lee _really_ wanted to keep her newfound discovery a secret.   
  


Azula can _not_ know about it.  
  


Ever.  
  


The acrobat was so sure that Azula would be too repulsed by her, just like Ty Lee had once been. Ty Lee couldn’t lose her again, especially not over something like this. Not to mention the fact that it would be pointless for her to know - it’s not like Azula would ever reciprocate her feelings.

  
“You did really well,” Ty Lee spoke at last, trying to ease the tension she felt.  
  


“I had great difficulties with it in the beginning, but you’re doing already so well,” The acrobat inwardly patted herself on the back for talking so casually whilst being anxious.

  
“It’s not perfect and therefore not worthy of mention,” she replied coldly, dismissing completely her compliment.

  
“But it is of advantage to be sparring with a competent partner,” she added airily.

  
Ty Lee had to giggle in response to that and affectionately laid one hand on her arm, “Being deemed competent by the Princess is such a big compliment, thank you!”

  
She hoped that this gesture was seen as something normal coming from her and not like an excuse to touch her. She enjoyed feeling a glimpse of Azula’s body, no matter how small it might be.

  
The Princess eyed her gesture with skepticism but refrained from taking any measures against it. In Azula’s head, it would come across as suspicious if she were to be troubled by a simple touch such as Ty Lee’s.   
  


Especially after last night, the other warrior couldn’t know just how much that kiss – or rather said these kisses – _bothered_ her.

  
This experience was in stark contrast to the one she’d had with Chan. His dry and rough lips had left her mind the second they had parted from hers. Whereas Ty Lee’s taste just wouldn’t leave Azula’s lips, all day long her touch lingered and it was driving her internally wild.

  
There had been only a few incidents where she’d despised her body more than she did that day.

  
“If you weren’t, I wouldn’t have bothered training with you in the first place,” Ty Lee recognized Azula’s way to downplay her own compliments in order to withdraw any meaning it might have held. 

  
Ty Lee only giggled again, knowing that this was just the way she was.

  
“Hey, do you remember that time on Ember Island? The bonfire?” The acrobat lightly pulled on Azula’s arm out of excitement with the hand that laid on it before.

  
“Lo and Li were right, even the most jagged edges could be smoothed,” she recalled.

  
“Shouting your issues out in the open didn’t change anything and certainly didn’t undo the past,” Azula said casually as she lazily played with a small blue flame in her palm.

  
“You’re right, of course, but it was freeing in a way – at least to me. It felt like we all got to know each other so much better. It felt like I got to know a different side of _you_ much better but I didn’t understand that side of you yet to that time. I regret that I only realized it when it was already too late,” At first Ty Lee’s voice was cheery and upbeat about the fact that the four friends each had spilled what emotional turmoil had broiled inside of them. But at the mentioning of Azula’s revelation she grew quieter.

  
“Interesting. What exactly is it that you regret?” Azula questioned, distinguishing the flame by closing her palm and turning her head over to Ty Lee.

  
“I was just so caught up in telling what had been haunting me that I just didn’t put enough focus on what was haunting you and I’m deeply sorry, Azula!” Ty Lee’s hand squeezed her arm and her eyes were wide with plead.

  
“Just tell me. What is it that you’re sorry for?” Azula patiently inquired further and still couldn’t bring herself to brush off Ty Lee’s hand.

  
“You’ve revealed to us that your mother thought you were a monster, that it’d hurt you and that you actually thought it was true,” she feebly said, her voice heavy with sadness and regret. Azula slightly flinched upon hearing about her mother.  
  


It never ceased to be a sore point.

  
“We’ve already discussed that, Ty Lee. And talking about _Ursa_ is not worth my time,” at that the Princess harshly brushed off her hand and abruptly stood up.

  
Before Azula could walk away Ty Lee quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her back. Azula shot her a glare that was mostly covered by the dark that surrounded them but it was still visible and normally it would’ve silenced the acrobat instantly.   
  


Not this time though, she didn’t back off because it was something that had been nagging at her. She forgot about all form, stood up as well and held Azula’s hand still.

  
Ty Lee had to blush at the feeling of her warm hand despite herself. She felt extremely stupid at that reaction of her own body. She was, however, able to discard these thoughts for a moment.

  
“Please, Azula, it’s really important. Your mother was so, so _wrong_ and I feel like you’ve become exactly what you thought was the case anyway,” her heart was racing and she really didn’t know what reaction to anticipate by the Princess. She knew that her hands began to sweat out of nervousness and that Azula must’ve noticed but she still needed the connection, needed to finally convey her feelings on that matter.

  
“I’ve thrown you into prison to decay in the filthiest corner of a jail because you’ve betrayed and paralyzed me while I wanted to struck _our_ _friend_ down with lightning,” she stated detached and completely matter-of-factly, as if none of it had broken out a piece of her.

  
Ty Lee winced at her phrasing, how she could rattle the events off now as if she’d recite passages out of a history book Ty Lee hated to read.

  
“We were all hurting, Azula. You’ve left us – _me_ \- in pieces and I think I’ve never cried so much before,” she chuckled nervously but it was devoid of any humor, she felt how Azula unconsciously gripped her hand harder, “But you were shattered as well, weren’t you, Azula?” She asked, rhetorically, because she knew that the Princess would rather be caught and convicted by the Earth Kingdom than admit that it had hurt her as well.

  
“You’re being absurd,” the Princess laughed mirthlessly and it frightened the smaller girl to a certain degree, “everybody leaves me in the end, I just seemed to forgot that it applied for you, too,” she yanked her hand away from Ty Lee’s grip, finding it almost insufferable to hold the hand that had jabbed at her chi-points.

  
The acrobat held her hands close to her chest and knew that this topic threatened to aggravate the Princess.

  
“You’ve left me before and you would do it all over again!” Her hands twitched with the sudden urge to just burn this whole island down to close that chapter of her life with the debris of the last testifying remnants on her soles as she’d walk away for good. But that would unfortunately not happen and she knew that her agitated mind would soon cause another hallucination she needn’t in her life in order to cope with her emotional distress.

  
Ty Lee’s compassion for Azula relinquished the quelling fear and made her tear up again, because she understood where Azula was coming from.   
  


She had left her for the circus, had left her at the Boiling Rock for Mai.

  
The acrobat pulled together all the confidence she could gather, not bothering to hide her tears and went in to hug Azula.   
  


Tightly.

  
Azula half-heartedly tried to push her off of her but the other girl only hugged her harder in return.

  
Before Azula could protest or throw anything at Ty Lee, she spoke, “I’m sorry for all the times you felt like I just left you alone, but even if you weren’t there, you were with me in my heart. And I may have left you physically but you never ceased to be my dear friend, Azula” she spoke softly and wondered if Azula would ridicule her for her words or her displayed weakness.   
  


These words were meant to comfort the Princess, assure her of her friendship. But Ty Lee couldn’t help but feel hurt, hurt that they were just that.   
  


Friends.

  
She could feel how the Princess was internally fighting, trying badly to resist her attempt at closeness. But eventually the still Princess slowly brought her hands to Ty Lee’s small, lightly sweaty back and reciprocated the hug.

  
Ty Lee couldn’t suppress the giggles that escaped her mouth and it turned her into a sobbing, laughing girl. But she didn’t care about it that moment.

  
Azula reciprocating her hug while she spilled her heart’s content felt like she could finally convey her feelings on that matter, it felt as if Azula timidly accepted them even. 

  
“I never gave up on you, Azula, and I know I’m being shameless, so please excuse me for that, but please don’t give up on me,” Ty Lee said through her sobs as she loosened the embrace to look her directly in the eyes, placing her hands on Azula’s shoulders. She slightly gripped the fabric of her shirt to steady herself, not wanting to lose the contact to the fallen Princess.

  
Azula’s expression was conflicted, caught in between a genuine _smile_ and a snarl.

  
The Princess herself couldn’t explain the calmness that soothed her troubled mind upon hearing her words, feeling her affection.

  
She wanted to fight it, wanted to brush it off as weak and pathetic and everything along these lines but she also desperately wanted to give in and let herself be fooled by these bittersweet lies that for once felt more like truth than anything else.

  
“Stop sobbing, Ty Lee. You’re ugly when you cry,” it was the only reasonable answer Azula could come up with.

  
Ty Lee would’ve felt hurt and humiliated at such a response to her feelings, but her voice carried such softness that told the acrobat all she needed to know.

  
Azula’s tenderly spoken words and the fact that she even still held her and hadn’t let go yet stunned her, but what stunned her the most was when the Princess lifted one hand from her back to her cheek to wipe away a straying tear.

  
Her long slender fingers drew over her damp skin with amazing care and Ty Lee could’ve sworn that her fierce blush was palpable.

  
“I’m sorry for being so weak in front of you,” Ty Lee whispered through half-lidded eyes as she dared to lean into Azula’s hand, her voice a bit raspy from the crying. Her hands were still clutching on Azula as if her life depended on it, thinking it might prevent her crush’s gentleness towards her running out of fuel too soon.

  
“I dislike seeing you cry, even more so when it’s because of me,” her tone matched the acrobat’s level – a calm and gentle whispering.

  
Ty Lee was so happy to witness these rare moments of Azula having her guard down that she could start to cry all over again. But she pulled herself together and pulled the Princess closer to herself, wanting to savor every ounce of kindness Azula was willing to grant.   
  


The Princess withdrew her hand since it got uncomfortable in this position and instead put both hands steadily on her waist again. Her hands and Ty Lee’s waist curve fit perfectly and Azula found that it felt nice to have them there, much to the acrobat’s liking. Only boys had placed their hands on her waist like that before.

  
“That makes me really happy to hear from you, Princess,” her muffled words barely audible since she nuzzled her face into Azula’s shoulder.

  
The Princess neither pushed the girl away nor protested for she allowed herself to indulge once into the pleasantries friendship had to offer.

  
They stayed like that for a moment longer until Azula stirred and signaled the acrobat that time had moved too fast, ending the closeness too soon.

  
It seemed as though as Azula wasn't in a hurry since she released Ty Lee tantalizingly slowly and felt her sides one last time, her thumbs lightly brushing against her bare stomach. The smaller girl mimicked Azula’s motions, taking her time while she released the Princess from her clasp and ran her hands down the Princess’ arms until their hands met and intertwined just like after that hug when Azula had recruited Ty Lee for her mission.

  
Azula’s eyes never left hers in the process and Ty Lee was immensely glad for the dim light outside because she was sure that Azula would’ve found the uncovered truth of her feelings in them.

  
The acrobat didn’t retreat her hands and already braced herself for the final loss of contact - but it didn’t happen.

  
Azula let go of _one_ hand to grab their weapons but held Ty Lee’s other hand still.   
  


The smaller girl had to pull all of her strength together to not scream because what Azula displayed was so unusual and simply unbelievable. She was afraid that Azula would notice her reaction and she was even afraid that her strong heartbeat could be felt through her hands.

  
Never did she think would’ve come the day where the Princess would initiate holding hands – without being pressured into it, without any remark.

  
What a divine torture.

  
Oh, what a fool she was for falling for Azula indeed.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to upload a drawing for that chapter.  
> It's the first time I tried digital drawing and thus it really didn't turn out that well.  
> I messed it up and had to crop out pretty much the whole picture.
> 
> Hope you'll like it anyways!

“It sucks that you have to be on duty,” Ty Lee pouted and her eyes slightly narrowed in discontent.

  
The Princess noticed the first change in her expression that evening and quirked a brow. The acrobat had been a single compound of excitement and bubbliness for the rest of the week, resembling her old self.

  
It shouldn’t have been regarded as odd behavior coming from the vivacious girl, but something felt off about it. Azula naturally kept quiet about her hunch, even though the sinking feeling had started to settle in that Ty Lee might be more of a volatile factor than she initially anticipated.

  
“Well, of course, I am,” Azula replied sternly as she pressed a gloved finger between Ty Lee’s brows, “You know the reason why, so stop bothering me with your whining,” she shifted back into her still stance, observing lackadaisically the pity party of an inauguration ceremony.

  
Contrary to Azula’s hopes, they had been assigned to help finish rebuilding the main village all week long, and even though she and Ty Lee continued to go out and train on their own after their duty ended, she felt decisively unexhausted.

  
The training hadn’t been a big enough outlet to release all of the unused energy that flowed through her system.

  
The sun had been shining down on her so mercilessly, feeding her with great power she simply couldn’t put into action yet. The urge to firebend grew with each passing day and to deny her own second nature frustrated her immensely. The seldom times she would light the candles back in Ty Lee’s house were merely a drop in the ocean.

  
She knew it was a necessary sacrifice to make and normally, she would’ve been able to restrain herself despite her dissatisfaction, but the feel of Ty Lee’s lips hadn’t left her still, making it more and more difficult to keep herself cool and collected.

  
“Fine, I’ll have fun on my own then,” she winked at Azula and shot her a mischievous grin and with that she started to mingle with the crowd.

  
The Princess huffed slightly, not having expected for Ty Lee to leave for real. Despite herself, she subtly watched the acrobat walking away and couldn’t help but notice the sway of her hips as Ty Lee took step after step. It felt as if she deliberately put more emphasis on her walk to taint Azula’s straying thoughts further. The Princess averted her gaze when Ty Lee got lost in the crowd, exhaling controlled and slightly shaking her head. She wasn’t one to concern herself with such petty and deconstructive thoughts, so why did they keep coming back to her?

  
Unlike Azula, Ty Lee was off-duty and seemed especially eager to celebrate the completion of restoring the main village. It felt like the whole island gathered tonight, making the way from the port up to the village rather crowded.

  
She stood with her hands clasped behind her back still like a statue, watching as the people began to get more and more drunk as the evening drug on, impassively listening to the tunes of foreign instruments.

  
She had strategically positioned herself next to a house in a corner the light of the torches weren’t able to reach properly. She needn’t to be on display and get chatted up by drunken locals. Luckily, there were two other Kyoshi Warriors on duty who would rather catch the attention of nosy people who wanted to probe into the private lives of their warriors.

  
So far there were no incidents, except for a drunken man who got into a fight with another over spilled beverages.

  
_What an uncivilized bunch_ , the Princess thought pejorative, reveling the what-if fantasy of the Fire Nation winning the Great War and bringing prosperity and progress even to such people.

  
Suki quickly took care of it, leaving Azula with nothing to do but to continue to stand still and observe.

  
After some time in her reverie – which was both painful and beautiful alike – she skimmed the crowd and easily spotted Ty Lee.

  
Her choice of clothing had always stood out, especially here on Kyoshi Island. She’d chosen to wear pink for a change – a welcome variation in the sea of green everywhere – wearing a laced pink top that ended shortly underneath her breasts, exposing completely her flat stomach. A red plain necklace with a golden accentuation adorned her slender neck and to complete her outfit she wore pink baggy pants that ended at her knees.

  
To Azula’s displeasure, her pants started at her bottom waist, exposing much more skin than usual and teased all those who were eager to explore the covered parts.

  
Ty Lee’s attire and her easy-going character attracted various boys and it gave the Princess an irritating déjà-vu of the party on Ember Island. The only difference being that Ty Lee didn’t seem repulsed by them in the end and only encouraged them further. She recognized Ty Lee’s flirting manners since she had taught the Princess herself the tricks. She saw how the acrobat was constantly laughing at their probably horrible attempts at a joke.

  
These boys were completely enthralled by her and Azula watched irked as they handed her drink after drink, clearly with the intention to lower her inhibitions in favor of inferior motives.

  
She clenched her fists at that sight and before she could picture to strike all these boys down with lightning, someone appeared next to her.

  
Azula unclenched her fists and they swiftly returned to their place at her back.

  
“Speak,” Azula’s head was still facing the provoking scene farther away.

  
“I’ve gathered as many information as I could without appearing suspicious,” Nami spoke in a hushed tone, nervous about the amount of information she was about to deliver.

  
The Princess’ eyes once again skimmed the whole area warily, without moving her head. There was no potential eavesdropper in sight.

  
“Continue,” her regal tone made Nami even more nervous.

  
“There are various uprisings in the Fire Nation without any real response from Fire Lord Zuko. The economy is down and the unemployment rate skyrocketed – there are no real solutions yet. Many high-ranked generals and affiliates of Ozai had been arrested. Zuko is highly unpopular among the nobles and the general population, especially due to his course in regards of international politics,” Nami’s face was contorted in concentration, she really didn’t want to miss out on any important facts, somehow too intimidated by her authoritarian manner.  


She knew that _Katsumi_ was anything but the girl she all told them to be.

  
The nervous girl had yet to find out that it was in fact Azula she was talking to all this time. The Princess didn’t plan on revealing herself until the right moment had come, though she had pondered the possibilities of ways Nami’s thinking could lead her on.

  
Either way, the Princess of the Fire Nation was unconcerned, assured that the prospect of Nami meeting her parents again was too great to seriously question her and so far it proved to be true.

  
Nami was a noble of the Fire Nation, a Kyoshi Warrior. Two completely different lives with nothing in common but one thing: Raised to obey a higher authority.

  
Azula was silent for a moment, processing all of the news she hadn’t been able to lay her hands on yet. As much as she could use them to her advantage, it pained her to hear about the broken state her nation was in. Her train of thoughts was interrupted when her gaze landed on Ty Lee again and she couldn’t comprehend the rage that began to build up upon seeing that scene.

  
While Azula had been distracted by Nami, Ty Lee began to dance with two guys to the rhythmic music and they were pushed closely together as she exotically moved and let the hands of the boys occasionally roam her midriff. That was outright _obscene_!

  
“That’s all?” she demanded impatiently, glancing sideways to her informant.

  
“I also heard that Fire Lord Zuko left the country to travel to the Earth Kingdom, but unfortunately I don’t know where to exactly. And I think you must’ve heard from the news about Princess Azula,”  
Nami spoke but the Princess was fairly listening anymore despite its importance, too preoccupied by what was happening. She couldn’t take her gaze off of Ty Lee’s moving body and ached to cut off the wandering insolent hands of the boys.

  
Ty Lee, visibly not minding their daring touches, took it even a step further and began to press her back against the boy behind her, lifting her hands to slightly take a hold of his neck while she lolled around him, her eyes closed as if she was completely lost in the music.

  
Azula was fuming and she didn’t even try to hide her glances anymore. She was, nonetheless, slightly taken aback when Ty Lee opened her eyes again and fixed them on the Princess.

  
When their eyes met a jolt of electricity shot through Azula and she had a hard time resisting the urge to pull her gaze away. She was in that moment not in the right state of mind to question the brief electrifying shot Ty Lee had caused.

  
It startled the Princess that Ty Lee immediately spotted her through the crowd, but she was even more unsettled by her expression. Ty Lee held her gaze through half-lidded eyes, her mouth slightly open while her flushed skin lightly reflected the surrounding flickering lights. It was a daring and somewhat sultry expression and it highly unnerved her to see her being felt up while she looked at her like _that_. She didn’t know the reason why.

  
No one expect for her was so shaken by that sight since most of the crowd was pretty much drunk at this point and were themselves preoccupied with - what Azula assumed was supposed to be - dancing.

  
“It’s all I could gather,” Nami’s voice pulled her out of her trance.

  
“That will be sufficient for now,” Azula replied brief and dismissive. When she shifted her attention back to Ty Lee, she found her gaze concentrated on the guy in front of her. She was almost grinding against him now, as his hands stealthily went farther and farther down her stomach.

  
That was all it took to set the Princess off.  


Without another word she left Nami and her earlier position and strode with determined steps towards the dancing trio. Some people bumped into her and tried to engage her in light conversation, she had to hold back a lot to not push them away and curse their insignificant existence.

  
When she finally reached Ty Lee she yanked her out of their somewhat embrace.

  
“Heeeey, what are you doing? I was having such a good time~” Ty Lee’s words were slurred and she had to giggle despite herself.

  
Azula didn’t answer her as she dragged her away from the improvised dance floor while faint shouted complaints roared from the two disappointed boys. She quickly tried to spot Suki which wasn’t all that hard since she, too, was clad in the warrior garb.

  
She pulled Ty Lee with her at the arm towards Suki, while the drunken girl was trying hard not to stumble and fall. The world somehow spun and for once the skilled acrobat had a hard time keeping her balance.

  
Azula impatiently tapped Suki’s shoulder since she was talking to an older lady.

  
“Oh, Katsumi,” she turned around and spotted the other warrior at her side, “and Ty Lee. Are you okay?” she casted her an uncertain glance.

  
“I request to be put off duty to take her home. She had one drink too many, _Captain_ ,” Azula hated to call her that, but in front of others she had to adhere by the hierarchy.

  
“I’m fine, really,” Ty Lee interjected a little too loud. Suki looked concerned from Azula to Ty Lee, not acknowledging her drunken objection.

  
“Yes, you may leave. If anything should happen, don’t hesitate to reach out to me,” Suki said and with that Azula marched off with Ty Lee in tow towards their house.

  
Shortly before they were out of sight of the ceremony and reached the forest leading to the rather secluded area of the island, Ty Lee freed herself out of Azula’s firm grip.

  
“Why are you so rough? I’m really not that drunk and I wanna go back,” she whined and rubbed at the part where Azula had clutched her.

  
“You should know better than to get drunk and felt up in public like that,” Azula scolded her and gripped her arm again, “I’m saving you from embarrassing yourself even further, you should thank me,”

  
“That was just dancing,” she shrugged and snickered as she let herself be dragged further into the sparse forest.

  
“That was _indecent_ ,” Azula countered irritated, images of that particular scene flooding her thoughts.

  
“Come on, ‘Zula. Loosen up, it’s fun,” a hiccough escaped her throat and she had to laugh heartily. The Princess couldn’t believe it, couldn’t understand the acrobat’s behavior. She also couldn’t understand why she bothered like this in the first place.

  
“I don’t see how giving yourself easily to strangers is fun,” she remarked icily, tolerating her slip because she knew that no one were in this area that time around.

  
“Oh, I get it!” the smaller girl exclaimed and halted both their movements, attracting Azula’s attention. “You’re angry that we didn’t dance, too,” in Ty Lee’s drunken mind this was the only reasonable explanation and she stated it as if she’d made a scientific discovery.

  
Before Azula could protest, Ty Lee pulled her to herself and placed both of Azula’s gloved hands on her bare hips while she placed hers on the Princess’ shoulder. That was the moment the Princess doubted that the other girl’s mind was still with her.

  
“I certainly am _not_ angry because of that,” Azula huffed and retreated her hands from Ty Lee’s waist to brush off her hold on her shoulders.

  
Ty Lee wasn’t fazed at all by her statement and kept holding onto the idea that Azula just wanted to dance.

  
She grabbed the Princess’ arms again, swiftly removed the gloves and put them back at her waist.

  
“It’s way better to feel the direct touch of the hands on you,” she commented nonchalantly and actually smirked. Her tone acquired the level of sultriness Azula had seen in her face earlier and it made her lose all control over her limbs.

  
Ty Lee intertwined her hands behind Azula’s neck and pulled her closer, while she whispered in her ear, “You want _it_ , don’t you?”  


What an ambiguous comment, that would further taint Azula’s thoughts in the future.

  
The Princess wanted to reprimand her for all of her bold actions and most of all she desperately wanted to remove her hands from Ty Lee’s waist but she somehow couldn’t bring herself to do it. Her own body denied it, the feeling of the heat radiating girl just too inviting to reject.  


Azula sighed at the surge of her blood, her hormones unfortunately didn’t seem to differentiate between the gender of the radiating and intoxicating subject.

  
“You will definitely regret this tomorrow,” Azula said with all the firmness she could muster up in that situation as she felt the hips beneath her palms slightly move in the tact of the faint music.

  
“And I think you will regret it if you don’t take advantage of me,” a sly smile plastered her face and the slight slur of the words made it clear that Ty Lee would’ve never said anything like that sober, much less to the Princess.

  
Azula wasn’t drunk, but the feeling of being flirted with so daringly stirred something within her and started to haze her mind. There was just something about the way Ty Lee acted that made her feel like an actual teenage girl and not some kind of prodigious war machine.

  
Azula had secretly longed for that when they had been among peers like that for the first time on Ember Island. After her descend, however, that almost innocent wish was ruthlessly replaced by something entirely else, though it almost looked like it would reappear timidly.

  
Due to her last remark though her haze cleared mostly and she finally found the strength in her arms again and pushed Ty Lee away, “And why am I supposed to take advantage of you?” Azula expectantly quirked a brow at her, stemming her hands in her hips. “There is nothing beneficial about being the drunken mess you are,”

  
“There’s nothing wrong with having a bit of fun, Princess. And right now I’m especially _fun_ ,” Ty Lee replied with a mischievous grin, completely dismissing Azula’s action to put some space between them.

  
The Princess wasn’t sure what the drunken girl was on about and if _fun_ might have stood for something else but she really didn’t want to ponder that thought.

  
“You’re especially nosy. Now, come on,” Azula commanded and started to walk back to the house again with Ty Lee taking irregular steps next to her.

  
The way through the sparse forest to their house wasn’t exactly that long, but the buzzed acrobat acted like a small child, straying from the way more often than not and prolonging the time they needed to get back.

  
_She will definitely pay for this_ , Azula thought throughout the rest of their walk home, tugging occasionally at Ty Lee to prevent her from wandering off again. At least she shut her mouth in the meantime, but little did Azula know that it was only the quiet before the storm.

  
When they eventually arrived at the house, Ty Lee ran – or rather said stumbled in a quick pace – to the bed room and let herself dramatically fall on Azula’s bed, but not before an ‘ _ow!_ ’ echoed through the house, because she bumped her foot.

  
“Get off of my bed, Ty Lee,” the Princess sighed as she entered the bedroom and found the other girl nuzzling into her sheets. She swiftly lighted the surrounding candles and began to remove the layers of the uniform.

  
“But your bed is so comfy~” she objected and sunk even deeper into the mattress, watching the Princess take off her clothes intently.

  
Azula noticed her stare and smirked. She didn’t mind undressing in front of her and she didn’t mind Ty Lee staring at her like that. She _knew_ she had a body to die for, it was only natural to want to catch a glimpse of it.

  
“Ty Lee, make yourself useful and scrub off my paint, will you?” It was part of their routine, Azula firmly stayed away from mirrors and Ty Lee accepted doing the task without probing further about why she did so.

  
“On my way,” Ty Lee jumped up immediately and reeled from the sudden movement, “At your service, Princess,” she saluted to her like a little dork and Azula _almost_ had to chuckle at this grotesque sight.

  
Ty Lee sloppily prepared a wet rug and began to wash off the paint, to the Princess’ surprise with much care and precision despite her drunken state. When the work was done the acrobat’s face remained closely to Azula’s and she could smell the alcohol on her.

  
There was an impish flicker in Ty Lee’s eyes and before Azula had time to deduce what it meant, she started, “I know now why you were so angry,”

  
The Princess stood up and got dressed, it was late already but she intended to go over the information Nami had provided her with that evening. It was time to form a concrete plan.

  
“Enlighten me,” she replied disinterested, tired from all the fuss Ty Lee created.

  
“You were _jealous_ ,” she stated self-assured as she thought to have figured out the real reason and it made Azula furious.

  
“Follow me. Now.” The Princess ordered her in a tone that made the other girl slightly shrink even though the alcohol impaired her sense of self-preservation greatly.

  
Azula lead both of them outside to the shore and hoped that the fresh air would accelerate the process of sobering up, although their walk back had barely helped.

  
The restraint she had to exercise wore her down whereas the build-up chi from refraining from firebending flared her temper and she just had enough of drunken Ty Lee.

  
“I’ve seen your glances, Princess,” her dorky manner got replaced by her flirtatious nature in the matter of minutes and Azula briefly wondered how the smaller girl could keep up with it. The acrobat gradually came closer to her and the atmosphere around her had completely shifted.

  
Azula’s senses tingled despite her discontent as they picked up on the playful tension Ty Lee embodied. Their game began anew and left both of them staring hard at each other, with the Princess left to determine how to handle that drunken mess.

  
“You know that you’re not playing fair, right?” the slur in her words lessened but regarding her behavior, alcohol still amplified the hidden thoughts beneath her grinning and bubbly veil. The feelings of the whole week accumulated and she had rigorously pushed them away until the mask on her face got too heavy.

  
At the beginning of the evening the acrobat had been sure that drinking surely would take her mind off of the Princess and off of her profound revelation, that the company of the boys she had had no real interest in would occupy her at least for a short while.

  
But it was of no use and when she saw Azula with Nami _again_ she felt her world spinning, not because of the booze but of the fit of jealousy that jolted through her body. It irritated her to the point of not minding the callous hands that roamed her body as she tried to suppress her boiling feelings.

  
“I reserve myself the right to do however I see fit,” she countered imperiously and crossed her arms as Ty Lee halted in front of her at the beach. Azula needn’t to understand what exactly the other girl implied to – involuntarily – display her deep-rooted superiority complex.

  
The waves rolled serenely by and the salty air indeed began to slowly cleanse Ty Lee’s alcohol induced haze, not quick enough though to prevent a disaster.

  
“Sometimes,” the smaller girl started as she raised her hand and began tracing the line of Azula’s shoulders back and forth, “I think that you’re crueler when you’re acting so soft towards me than when you hurt me so casually,” she whispered huskily as she inched closer to Azula’s face.

  
It was a mystery to the Royalty how something so twisted could actually sound _seductive_.  


Maybe it was the acrobat’s existing dark and twisted side contrasting her bright persona and revealing a sneaky self-destructiveness that intrigued Azula and made her forgo her plan to sober her up for the moment.

  
“You’re drunk and not making any sense,” her breath tickled the acrobat’s face through the proximity, but the Princess didn’t back away.

  
Big grey eyes alternately stared openly into glowing golden ones and at nude lips - hinting at her intention - as Ty Lee’s lips gradually came closer to the still face and eventually ghosted over her lips.

  
It dawned on the Princess then what exactly the smaller girl had meant with taking advantage of her, willingly placing herself at Azula’s mercy.

  
The memory of haunting lips resurfaced and the surge of a different kind of power crashed over her again as the temptation deliciously shed the coat of reluctance.

  
She was _so_ close to take what her mind repeated time and time again the past week, but she wouldn’t be a Princess of a legendary bloodline if she were to give into carnal needs and desires like a peasant.

  
_Splash_!

  
A piercing shriek escaped the acrobat’s mouth, followed by an exasperated, “Azula!”

  
“Oh, I must’ve slipped,” her thick honey coated voice feigned innocence while she couldn’t suppress a big sly smile growing on her face.

  
Azula had pushed Ty Lee from the shore into the sea and she was completely drenched and momentarily overwhelmed by the rather cold sensation all around her otherwise flushed body. The waves of the ocean rhythmically rolled against her back as she came back to her senses and felt her body sobering up rather quickly.  


But before Ty Lee could really grasp the whole situation and what she did and might have done whilst being drunk, she wanted to get back on her.

  
“You are so mean! Please, help me get up,” her eyes were as wide as a baby-animal while she reached out her hand to be taken by Azula’s.

  
The Princess huffed lightly. The victory didn’t taste as sweet anymore and she reached out as well to grab Ty Lee’s hand.

  
Azula had always been fond of her, even though she herself couldn’t exactly explain why – all she had known was that while Ursa was her sore point, Ty Lee was her soft spot. Thinking that this soft spot perished the day Ty Lee had betrayed her had been a false assumption, no matter how hard Azula had wanted believe otherwise.

  
_Splash_!

  
Ty Lee used Azula’s goodwill to swiftly pull her into the water, despite knowing how much the Princess despised it.

  
Azula landed undignified with an ‘ _oof_ ’ next to the acrobat as she heard uncontrolled laughter from the culprit.

  
She practically sat in the water, half of her body covered by water as she stared incredulously down her wet clothes.  


_Did she really just…?_

_  
_ The laughing didn’t seem to stop and Ty Lee hadn’t even bothered to put as much space between her and the probably raging Princess between her.

  
“Oh, Agni,” Ty Lee could barely catch her breath through all the heavy laughing, “your expression is so worth-,” before she could end the sentence Azula lunged at her and tackled her to the ground, the arriving waves barely reaching up to her head.

  
“How dare you?!” Azula said through gritted teeth as she held both of Ty Lee’s wrists captative.  


It was a strange scene to say the least.

  
Both girls partly devoured by the sea, drenched and still. The sound of waves rolling by, subduing laughter and accelerated breathing the only things that could be heard.

  
Droplets of water trickled off of Azula’s bangs as she stared hard at the girl beneath her. The acrobat laid completely still and was gruesomely reminded of the night their passionate _dance_ had begun and placed a fire within her, she might not be able to quench for her own good.

  
Ty Lee held her breath and expectantly stared into golden orbs with highly raised brows, seemingly ready to accept whatever punishment the Princess had in mind.  


But the punishment never came.

  
Azula scrutinized her for a moment longer until her angry expression fell with a deep sigh as she began to straighten her back and let go of her grip on Ty Lee’s wrists in the process.

  
“Tell me why you’re not incinerated yet,” it wasn’t a demand and her almost defeated sounding voice offered the interpretation of not expecting a reaction for real.  


Maybe she was asking herself, but maybe she already knew the answer.

  
“’Cause you love me,”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rating changed to 'M' now for mature topics and sexual implications.
> 
> This chapter is fairly mild (the first time I wrote something like this), but better be safe than sorry.  
> In the near future, however, it will do the rating justice.
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!

Avril Lavigne - Give You What You Like

Waking up never felt as excruciating as that day.  


Ty Lee never had been fond of sleep, as it felt dull and boring, a waste of time. She’d rather frolic all day and night long to her heart’s content.

  
Right now, however, sleep turned into a heavenly right she was excluded from.

  
She awoke with a throbbing sensation in her head, feeling as if her head would split right on the spot. The pain she encountered as the light filtering through the windows hit her eyes was almost as strong as the one she felt in her brain.

  
As if the physical uneasiness wasn’t enough, a bad odor filled her nostrils when she was finally able to register her surroundings.  


_Yuck_! She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

  
Sleep, sweat, sea water and smoke hung in the air, her hair completely messy, barely resembling the braid anymore she apparently hadn’t undone last night.

  
She briefly contemplated to just lay still and exist until her hungover would wear off, but quickly decided against it. Her body needed a quick clean-up. As well as her bed.

  
It took some effort to untangle herself off the various sheets she’d been wrapped in to find out she was still wearing her clothes of yesterday, the main reason for the strong smell. Why were there so many blankets draped over her in the first place? And where came all the dirt from?

  
Ty Lee, confused, slowly turned her head to the side to check if Azula was still in bed, enduring the mess she was radiating with every pore.

  
Her bed was unsurprisingly vacant and the acrobat wanted to call for her, but felt the words stuck in her throat. It felt as if her whole mouth was filled with sand, her tongue too dry to even think about swallowing.

  
Ty Lee could count on one hand how many times the hangover had been as bad as this one. Traveling with the circus quickly taught her the meaning of a hangover and what it meant to perform with a queasy stomach. It’d been exactly two times – two times too many.

  
She might have been young then, though one who was old enough to go to war, was also old enough to drink that damned liquid once in a while.

  
But not again. She inwardly vowed to never again be within proximity to anything alcoholic as she attempted to stand up as carefully as she was able to.

  
Her resolve to not present herself to Azula in that rancid state overpowered the pressing urge to drink something to hydrate her, so she groggily slouched into the bathroom and started to fill up the tub.

  
It took her about an hour to get completely cleaned up and to shake off the dizziness that accompanied her throughout the morning, even though she doubted it was morning still.

  
She wore a fresh set of her comfy pink clothes, the ones she knew Azula would most approve of. It was her typical style she’d used to wear back in the Fire Nation.

  
The acrobat had made a mental note to not wear green in their free time anymore, respecting the Princess’ indirect wish to do so. It had made Ty Lee become aware of the implications of such trivial things like wearing a certain color. She would never be a nationalist like Azula, but she was Fire Nation at heart after all. The desire to honor that had gradually began to bloom without her noticing it at first. Her throat wasn’t the only thing that needed to be tended.

  
She took one last glance into the mirror before she went into the kitchen, checking if her braid was in place and if the make-up was able to cover the dark circles underneath her eyes. Long sleep didn’t always equal into a well rest.

  
“G’Morning, Azula,” Ty Lee greeted her as she entered the room with a quiet and raspy voice, strained from the desert within her.  


The light seemed to shine brighter here than in the bedroom, causing her to squint her eyes to see at all through the still pounding pain in her eye sockets.

  
Once she was able to see again, she noticed Azula at the table right away, briefly stunned by her appearance. She donned the royal robe she’d used to wear back in the Fire Nation after they had conquered Ba Sing Se.  


It was elaborate as well as comfortable, in various shades of red, with neatly knit golden trims, made possible by the sense of security that secluded part of the island offered. Her trademark top knot was _almost_ perfectly in place, though it was hard to achieve that kind of perfection without the use of mirrors.

  
She loved to see the Princess most in royal robes, as if nothing ever had changed. As if Azula would still be the Princess, the war hero and not the most wanted convict in the world. As if Azula would still be the girl she admired the most, without ever doubting their definition of friendship.

  
“Hardly, it’s already past afternoon,” Azula deadpanned, still halfway lost in a train of thought.  


There were various scrolls spread on the table, expertly written by the Princess herself.

  
Ty Lee threw a curious glance over to them, not even trying to decipher the symbols for her focus solely rested on drinking water at the moment. And judging by the way the Princess swiftly closed off all the hidden information from interested eyes, she didn’t want to be asked about it.

  
“I’ve slept so long and yet I still feel so bad,” she barely ended the sentence before she consecutively devoured three glasses of water.

  
“It’s your own fault for taking drink after drink from these disgusting leering guys,” Azula’s sharp tone cut through the atmosphere.

  
Ty Lee could concentrate better now, the water lessening the headache further. Though she still couldn’t determine if the Princess was angry in general or at her. Had she done something while being drunk?

  
“Everything was so much fun, I didn’t really notice getting that drunk,” she grinned unfazed, completely putting off Azula’s snide remark.

  
Ty Lee had been aware of the intentions of the boy’s, she was no fool in that regard. She’d used them as much as they had used her, even though it hadn’t led to the desired outcome for either of them.  
The acrobat couldn’t get Azula and all the thoughts revolving about falling for a girl – falling for the Princess at that – off of her mind and Azula had snatched her away before the alcohol would’ve done the job for the boys, or so they’d thought at least.

  
“Tea?” Her thirst was finally quenched, leaving only the physical uneasiness up to eliminate hopefully with the power of herbs.

  
“Yes,” Azula replied briefly, putting the last scrolls off the table. There was no need to tell what type of tea exactly – Ty Lee already knew.

  
After the water began to boil, she filled two cups with black tea and chamomile and placed them on the table.

  
“I’m sorry if I’ve caused any inconveniences last night, my memory is a bit hazy and I don’t remember much,” Ty Lee now sat opposite of Azula, in direct view to receive a glare. Yep, Azula was definitely angry at her.

  
“Can you tell me what happened, please? I only really remember talking and dancing,” she smiled innocently, knowing that Azula’s unamused expression foreboded having made bad decisions.

  
“Mhm, let me think,” slender fingers enjoying the heat of the otherwise burning mug containing fresh broiled tea moved to tap at her chin, feigning a deep thinking process, “Do you mean before you tried to _seduce_ me or after you’ve pulled me into the ocean?” Azula’s voice before was coated with sugary ignorance and turned gradually into her harsh, condescending tone. Clearly unhappy about Ty Lee’s drunken mishaps.

  
In an instant Ty Lee’s pale face blushed in a bright red. There were only few things to generate such a heavy bodily reaction and she was barely ever really embarrassed.

  
“Oh Agni, I’m so sorry!” she blurted and hastily sunk her head into her hands, trying to avoid the shame and the relentless gaze of the Princess.

  
“I’m a touchy person and the alcohol only amplifies it. I didn’t do something, did I? And why did I pull you into water?” Despite all the unease and without knowing what she had done for real, she hastily constructed an excuse as to why she apparently had hit on the Princess. One eye cautiously peeked through the slits of her fingers, uncertain, watching as Azula crossed her arms and leaned back into the chair.

  
“If you mean touchy as in making inappropriate and indecent comments while trying to get my hands on you, then yes. You’re a terrific touchy person,” Azula’s reply was dry and expressionless, even though these actions had taken a toll on her emotional wellbeing or rather said on the absence of.

  
Upon hearing Azula’s words, she sunk deeper into her own arms, hoping to get swallowed by the darkness surrounding her momentarily. She couldn’t even utter any more apologies, rendered speechless by her own actions. How obvious could she have been? 

  
“After you’ve come too close to me I pushed you into the sea, a favor of mine to sober you up and end your acts of humiliation,” Azula added smugly while she inspected her short and blunt fingernails.

  
“But instead of being thankful you pulled me into the water as well,” She added with another glare.

  
Ty Lee incredulously lifted her head at that.

  
“What? Why am I still alive?” It was meant to be a joke, meant to lighten the overall tension and her embarrassment. Still, the genuine question behind it filtered through the room, received by Azula’s sharp mind.

  
“A good question.” Azula sighed and took a sip of her tea, “I yet have to find an answer to that. Perhaps you’re just not worth the trouble,” she airily waved with one hand.

  
After hearing about the events of last night, her haze began to clear and the memories returned one by one, activating her mostly dulled headache anew.

  
The acrobat began to remember walking along the shore. She remembered that Azula had dashed out of the house after she’d told the Princess she were jealous.

  
She remembered coming closer to her, Azula’s lips only a heartbeat and a bold decision away. Being pinned down on the rather cold sand.

  
_“Tell me why you’re not incinerated yet,”_

 _  
“‘Cause you love me,_ ”

  
Ty Lee unconsciously pressed both hands on her mouth with fervor, as if that would undo the words she’d said.  


She had exclaimed something she didn’t believe in herself, but in the darkness of the night, Azula’s luminous eyes seemed to have smiled to her for a fraction of a second before returning distant. Ty Lee’s mind surely must’ve played tricks on her.

  
“I passed out,” she stated matter-of-factly after collecting herself, she needed to calm down. All this commotion really did her throbbing head no favor.

  
Azula quirked a brow, “Correct. You seem to regain your memories,”

  
“Slowly. But… how did I get into my bed then?”

  
For a moment Ty Lee thought to have witnessed the slightest hint of embarrassment in Azula’s features, an emotion she swore Azula wasn’t capable of.

  
“I was responsible for you and thus couldn’t leave you behind. After several attempts to wake you up, I..,” Azula untypically hesitated for a millisecond, “I picked you up and carried you inside,”

  
Ty Lee couldn’t suppress the laughter that erupted from her throat. It felt like all of her uneasy emotions ran dry and were replaced by humor. And by a palpitating heart at the thought of being carried.  


Carried by Azula!

  
“So that’s why everything reeked of sea water, you just dropped me with my drenched clothes onto the bed,” A hearty laugh escaped her at the absurdity of that whole situation.

  
“Just be grateful, will you?” The Princess hissed, feeling rather ridiculous.

  
After a moment of uncontrolled giggling and processing her drunken stupidity, her warm eyes looked empathically at Azula, noticing the uneasiness caring for others inflicted within her.

  
Ty Lee reached over the table to cup one of Azula’s hand holding the mug, “I’m really sorry for everything, for _molesting_ you,” Azula didn’t retract her hand and expectantly looked at the other girl.

  
“And thank you for taking care of me. I really appreciate it,” she smiled affectionately at her, idly running her thumb over the back of Azula’s hand. The Princess intently watched that bizarre gesture, noting with disdain the tingling sensation rising in her hand, fizzling out any of the discomfort she’d felt before.

  
“Thank you for putting up with me, I can only imagine how frustrated you must’ve been,” Ty Lee only meant well, but it would backfire immensely.

  
“I highly doubt you’re aware of the constant restraint I exercise,” her statement coupled with her firm voice made Ty Lee flinch.

  
“What restraint?” the acrobat hadn’t the slightest clue and was prone to assume that her flirting tactics might have worked their charm – even on the cold Princess.

  
“The way you behaved last night, I could’ve burned down the whole island,” the look within the Princess’ eyes showed the smaller girl that it wasn’t just a figure of speech. It frightened her and Azula noticed it. Ty Lee wanted to retreat her hand, but Azula caught it before she could do so.

  
“I’m not _Zuko_. I’m not as hotheaded and as ill-tempered as he is, however, I do have my limits,” She added in a more neutral tone albeit she hissed the name of her brother.  


Azula had the disgusting urge to appease, not liking fear crossing Ty Lee’s eyes. She’d used to bath with delight in the power from striking fear into everyone’s heart, even in Ty Lee’s. But somewhere along the road she’d come to despise seeing it on her face.  


It was a strange development.  


Fear had used to give the Princess a certain kind of reassurance. That was, however, before her world had broken apart with all her columns of beliefs. It was before she’d encountered what consequences ensued when she instilled fear even in those considered close to her and that being feared alone wasn’t enough.  


She’d _miscalculated_. Fear hadn’t prevented the betrayal, the loss, the mistrust.

  
Ty Lee briefly nodded, her gaze fixed on her hand clasped by Azula’s warm one. She hoped the blush from earlier hadn’t declined yet, covering up the excitement she felt at her gesture and ultimately overshadowing her confusion.

  
“I hadn’t really thought about that,” the acrobat admitted shyly, “What exactly did bring you to your limits?” she asked reluctantly, almost demure.

  
Azula imitated the gesture she’d seen her do just moments ago, her thumb lightly drawing over Ty Lee’s cool skin. She momentarily wondered about her own behavior, but immediately shifted to pondering the answer to her question.  


She had yet to determine if she would brush it off, lie as she so often did or honestly answer it.

  
The piled up excessive energy flowing through her body rose again simply by thinking about her circumstances. The Princess broke the contact with the smaller girl as she stood up and began to lightly pace the room.

  
Ty Lee was temporarily perplexed by Azula’s rather affectionate gesture and unhappy that it had ended so soon. Azula’s firm steps pulled Ty Lee’s out of her thoughts and made her anxiously watch the scene, knowing that Azula must’ve faced conflict within her.

  
Chasing the Avatar, the girl had sometimes seen the Princess like that. Azula had been caught between the confidence to achieve whatever goal she’d set for herself – concurrently proving to be a worthy heir to her father – and the fact that they’d slipped through her fingers once again. The otherwise calm and collected Princess frantically pacing back and forth had been a distressing sight to say the least.

  
“This is not the life I’m destined to live, this is abhorrently insulting me on every level,” Azula turned back and put a firm hand on the table, her gaze fixed on the tensing girl.  


“I’m a Princess, not a peasant!” she exclaimed with venom.

  
“Every day I’m forced to wear the colors of a nation every fiber of my being rejects. Every day I’m forced to subjugate,” the resentment in Azula’s eyes grew more intense with each word.

  
“It’s not me who has turned mad, it’s the world. _This_ is madness,” Azula withdrew her hand and began pacing again.

  
Ty Lee looked at the place her hand had rested on and saw that the shape of it slightly burned into the wood. She lifted her head and looked concerned, unable to say anything. She had been so caught up again, not noticing the impact of the burden of Azula’s disguise.

  
“But I could endure all that. If you want to know what pushes me to my limits, Ty Lee, it’s ultimately you,” Azula’s back faced the accused girl, her eyes coldly glancing over her shoulder.

  
“Me?” The acrobat pointed taken aback at herself. “What do you mean?”

  
“You should be aware of it. You have great knowledge of the flow of chi, the current of energy cursing through the body. But you as a non-bender will never be able to comprehend what it means to _not_ bend,” Azula turned around again and slowly walked towards her. It was intimidating and Ty Lee had difficulties to not show any of the conflicting emotions within her.

  
There was something about the atmosphere, about the way Azula talked and behaved that _excited_ her – bordering almost on arousal – despite the fear the Princess incited so effortlessly within her.

  
The acrobat struggled to articulate coherent words, but remained mute in the end, transfixed by Azula’s intense gaze. Transfixed by her own twisted feelings.

  
“Unlike any other benders, firebenders obtain a majority of their energy from the sun. An energy of a source lighting our world unyieldingly for thousands of years and another thousand years to come, running right in our very own blood,” Azula drew closer to the tense but curious girl, as she absentmindedly traced the path of a vein starting from her hand up her arm. 

  
“Do you understand that such power is in need of an outlet?” Azula’s stare bored right into Ty Lee’s soul and she was irrationally afraid of Azula uncovering all of her secrets.

  
“Yes, Azula,” Ty Lee’s alert eyes never left the Princess’.  


She had never given it much thought, growing up in the Fire Nation it was just natural to bend often. Never before had she thought about the necessity to do so, but it made sense. She inwardly cringed at just how much sense it made, it must’ve been horrible.

  
“It’s needless to say I’m being refused to exercise what I am, which equals in massive amounts of excessive energy,” Azula now towered above her and there was something indecipherable in her eyes that made Ty Lee want to shiver.

  
“And then you came along,” The Princess exhaled slightly before she continued, “Dear, daring Ty Lee. Revealing a completely different kind of channeling all that power,” 

  
After a moment of processing all that had been said, Ty Lee gasped, her eyes open wide.

  
She thought to have understood what the Princess implied, but she couldn’t believe it, couldn’t comprehend it. Her insides tingled uncontrollably, nonetheless.

  
Was Azula really aware of the innuendo of her words?

  
The acrobat casted an uncertain gaze at the Princess and to her dismay saw great resemblances of Ozai in her for a moment.  


There hadn’t been a single shred of humanity in that man – in Ty Lee’s opinion. He had been a truly frightful man, one even Azula had feared. Ozai had been corrupted by power, his mind distorted by the feeling of superiority akin to a god.

  
And now the product of his teachings stood right before her eyes, emitting a certain danger she’d never felt before coming from Azula.  


Azula had always taken what she wanted, she had played with people as if they were mere puppets in a game only she owned. But she’d never taken an interest in people like _that,_ she’d never shown that kind of desire, not that kind of cruelty.

  
Ty Lee abruptly stood up with the need to put space between them, but accidentally brought them closer than before.  


She averted her gaze, unable to look into those adamant golden eyes. She wanted to run from Azula, but more than that, she wanted to run from the desire Azula’s words sparked.  


Ty Lee had never known that side of herself and it frightened her more than the girl in front of her.

  
“Azula… Please tell me what you’re suggesting, ‘cause I’m really dizzy right now and I can’t think straight,” she pleaded, resisting the urge to push the Princess away. She felt cornered, unable to determine if she felt trapped by Azula or by herself.

The tension of the situation was heavy on the weakened acrobat.

  
“Don’t act ignorant, Ty Lee. I fully understood what you’d wanted to do yesterday as you do understand what I am _suggesting_ ,” A suggestion gave people the freedom to accept or decline, but it didn’t seemed as though Ty Lee had a choice.  


The smaller girl was briefly stunned by Azula’s uncharacteristically behavior. The Princess had made her intentions clear albeit not clear enough.

  
Despite the uncomfortableness, there was a sense of security that filled up her confidence slightly, knowing she could paralyze Azula if she were to do anything Ty Lee didn’t want. But more than that, she hoped it wouldn’t get to this point, because what if that was exactly what Ty Lee wanted?

  
“You can’t be serious, Azula,” Ty Lee regained some of her ground, eliciting an intrigued cocked eyebrow of the Princess.  


Azula so far had made no advances on the other girl.  


“You just wanna use me like that? Do you even _know_ what you’re talking about?” the adrenaline from countering Azula like that intoxicated her, the thrill familiarly lightning up her insides.

  
“I’m completely aware of what I’m saying. You _will_ repay me for last night,” Azula stated through gritted teeth, a wicked gleam apparent in her golden, piercing eyes. The brief slip of her composure foreboded gloom and relentlessness.

  
“I didn’t ask you to care for me! As far as I remember it was you who pulled me away! Why did you pull me away?”

  
Azula was inwardly taken aback by her outburst, not having anticipated such a reaction at all.

  
“You were drunk and the guy’s intentions were written all over their faces,” She replied matter-of-factly, the edge in her voice still present.  


Restraint.  


There it was again. She needed to restrain herself, feeling the fume coming from her balled fists.

  
“So you wanted to protect me, but right now you are..” _worse than they were_ , but she couldn’t bring herself to say these words.  


“Who is going to protect me from _you_?” Ty Lee was panting, caught in between colliding emotions.

  
She wanted Azula, didn’t she? She had had so few time to really sort her thoughts, handling the crushing revelation and its consequences. So why did the probably only chance to be really physically close to her feel so wrong?

  
That sentence seemed to have struck something within Azula and triggered her, made her act on impulses the Princess believed derived from the monster she inevitably was.

  
In a swift motion, Azula kicked a chair away and pulled Ty Lee tightly to her while she pressed her against the table. The Princess leaned in but didn’t kiss the girl yet, instead she brought her lips close to Ty Lee’s ear and whispered eerily, “No one will be saved from me,” An unknown somberness settled on Azula’s voice.

  
The Princess retreated her head from the place at the ear and brought it back closely to Ty Lee’s. When their eyes met there had been a flicker in Azula’s eyes she’d seen before, her eyes devoid of any of the darkness within her words.

  
Ty Lee knew then that she needn’t any rescuing, assured by something as simple as a vulnerable flicker in these haunting eyes, that Azula wouldn’t just take without mercy, she wanted Ty Lee to willingly give herself – both not knowing to what extent exactly.  


Azula craved that power, she needed it. Paradoxically, the more she was filled up with chi that twitched to be released, the more powerless she’d felt. To her that was the worst.

  
The anger fell from the acrobat’s face as she slowly brought her hands around Azula’s slender neck.

  
Her legs had been closed the entire time, her knees pressing against Azula’s thighs, creating a silent distance within proximity.

  
Careful hands started to slowly caress her slim neck, holding eye contact all the while with an intrigued and gradually softening Princess. The situation had lost its edge, but the electricity between them only increased.

  
Big daring eyes stared deeply into Azula’s, noticing her pupils dilate considerably as Ty Lee spread her legs and brought the Princess closer to her. Ty Lee’s very own action flustered her awfully, simultaneously exciting her even more.  


It had a purely sexual connotation attached to it.

  
The acrobat had never before felt this rush, this elation and this thrill from something as easy and as simple as two bodies pressed against each other.  


She felt the spark, the undeniable attraction to Azula in a way that was reserved for boys only, making it impossible to confuse the feelings she so obviously harbored.

  
Unable to resist the palpable tension any longer, she impatiently pulled at Azula’s neck bringing her lips into delicious availability. Before, however, both of them would forevermore distort the boundaries of friendship into unrecognizability, Azula stated with what was supposed to be a firm voice, “This means nothing at all.”

  
There it was again, a special kind of gentleness reverberating within realms that promised nothing but hurt.  


Azula indeed was crueler in softness than in disdainful malice.  


And then their lips touched and ignited a fire never to be recovered from.

  
It was at first a probing peck, completely unattached to the previous fervor and urge to take what had been offered last night. Azula slightly disconnected their lips, observing Ty Lee’s flushed face, before she dove in again with haste.

  
Her hands had been all the while next to Ty Lee’s sides, supporting her body, but she moved them to the exposed curve of her hips, feeling once again as they perfectly fit together. Ty Lee’s breath briefly hitched at the sudden contact on her bare skin.

  
Ty Lee’s hands remained at her neck, stroking her hair, although with the number of kisses increasing and the feeling of Azula’s hands on her hips, her hands stilled unable to concentrate on anything else but the touch of Azula’s demanding lips and her hot grip. She welcomed her open mouth by doing the same, angling her face in the opposite direction of Azula’s.

  
Every last ounce of uneasiness from the fear before and from the residues of alcoholic beverages were cleansed, replaced by a blaze surging through her system. It flowed through the tip of her tongue to the place Azula firmly grabbed her with the final destination being her center.

  
She might not have been a firebender, though in that moment she felt the strange sensation of almost being one. She, too, then felt a craving for more, for releasing the high amount of electricity jolting through her spine with each kiss, with each intake of air she almost took as greedily as her fervor.  


Her head swam, overwhelmed.  


All she could feel was Azula, all she could take in was her scent. Besides a faint sweetness, a smoky note dominated.  


Surprisingly, it wasn’t unpleasant. It didn’t sting and made her lungs ache, on the contrary. It was downright intoxicating.

  
Ty Lee deepened the kiss even further, wanting more of that flavor, causing another jolt in the process. Each one stronger than the previous. Azula slightly hesitated before she followed Ty Lee’s lead, intensifying the contact.

  
Azula hadn’t been an experienced kisser, but she was an intuitive learner and knew when to let her body move on its own accord. She finally tasted what hadn’t left her ever since that night they’d first kissed and yet she wasn’t satisfied.  


It wasn’t enough, she wanted more.  


Though she wasn’t completely certain of what exactly.

  
It was utterly illogical. The more they kissed, the hotter and greedier she became. If nothing would change any time soon, her initial intention to let out steam would emerge into something even more frustrating.

  
Azula groaned at the prospect of being even more displeased than before and began to graze Ty Lee’s already swollen lips with her teeth until she lightly bit into her lower lip without really thinking about it.  


Azula felt no remorse when she heard a low, throaty moan followed by a sharp intake of the smaller girl.  


It had been barely audible, but in that moment only they existed. Only the sounds they made swung on a frequency their ears were able to hear.

  
The Princess felt Ty Lee trying to turn away, probably out of embarrassment, but the thought of not feeling Ty Lee’s lips intertwined with her own felt almost unbearable in that moment.  


Azula was fairly aware of the way the squirming girl beneath her made her weak.  


What was the point in doing what they did then? After all, Azula initially craved it for power, for feeling in control, feeling strong. She surely must’ve gone crazy all over again, there was no other reasonable explanation as to why she didn’t stop something that made her feel so vulnerable albeit utterly enraptured with the smaller girl.

  
Ignoring her internal turmoil, she swiftly brought one hand from the acrobat’s hip to her face, cradling her face and holding it firmly in place.

  
Ty Lee felt entirely too hot from her previous slip but also from all the kissing. A rising dangerous yet delicious throbbing down her stomach exasperated Ty Lee and made her head swim even more in shame and lust.

  
Azula was a woman, her delicate skin and the feel of her lips so unlike anything she’d experienced before with the boys she’d made out with. Whereas Azula’s persistency was akin to those of the boys, it was welcomed and appreciated as well as needed to keep her sane.  


Boys had been always quick to rush, their tongue infiltrating her mouth before even a minute had passed.  


Azula, on the contrary, had made no such attempt so far, leaving Ty Lee aching for it – aching for the kind of smoky flavored kiss that would leave her breathless, clouding her better judgement for good.  


But after another deep kiss and another, her yearning wasn’t heard by the Princess. Her hunger for more gave her eventually the courage to do the next step.  


Fired up by Azula’s hands that now drew over her naked sides on their way to grip her upper thighs, she timidly began to introduce her tongue right after one kiss ended to pave the way for the next. It was a faint brush over Azula’s well-formed upper lip and she couldn’t suppress the smile after noticing the Princess’ minor shock.

  
Azula involuntarily let out a low groan of approval at the contact with Ty Lee’s bubblegum pink tongue, setting the last of her nerves on fire.  


Ty Lee noted with delight the sound her action tickled out of the Princess.  


Undeterred, they continued to kiss, the acrobat’s tongue becoming bolder and bolder, animated by Azula’s surprisingly willing, inviting lips.  


At the next deep kiss, her daring tongue tenderly entered the Princess’ mouth, stroking briefly her inner lip. Before her tongue retreated, Azula caught it between her lips and lightly sucked on it, eliciting another hoarse moan Ty Lee wasn’t able to stifle.

  
Azula’s hands on her thighs were so hot, Ty Lee could feel the warmth beneath her baggy pants. They gripped hard in response to the sounds Ty Lee involuntarily gave, her thumbs spreading widely, slightly grazing her inner thighs.  


Without Azula noticing, the heat of her hands mingled with the heat between her legs.

  
Where was this supposed to go?  


How far would they take it?  


Before any of these question could be answered, three sudden, loud knocks on the door could be heard.

  
“Hey, Ty Lee. It’s me – Suki,” called the voice of their captain.

  
They flew apart in an instant, Ty Lee's shocked eyes looking right into dark, golden ones.  


The acrobat let her arms fall, the muscles in her thighs relaxed and ended the tight contact with Azula.

  
After she recollected her senses and remembered what they were just doing, she turned her head away, suddenly very embarrassed, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

  
Their breaths were labored, Ty Lee’s one hand clutching at the Princess’ shoulder. Her legs still spread open wide, her heated center a heartbeat and several layers of clothes away from directly touching Azula.

  
Without another word the Princess took a step back and let the other girl hastily hop off of the table.

  
Ty Lee tried to even out her breath, combing through her hair and straightening her clothes. She threw a last uncertain glance at Azula before she went to answer the door with quickened steps.

  
Ty Lee wasn’t sure if she felt happy or immensely disappointed at the sudden interruption. Maybe it had been way too early to find out how far they would’ve taken it. And maybe this was the beginning of both their undoings.


	14. Chapter 14

“Fire Lord Zuko,” Iroh exclaimed with joy, bowing slightly before he pulled Zuko into a tight hug, “It’s so good to see you!”

  
“Uncle,” Zuko hugged him tightly back with a smile on his tired face. He had arrived in Ba Sing Se when night had fallen and covered him in the veil of anonymity. The streets of the upper ring were deserted, the Jasmine Dragon long closed. 

  
“Come on in, I’ll make you some tea – it must’ve been a long journey,” he put a fatherly hand at Zuko’s back, leading him up the familiar stairs towards the shop.

  
Once they’d entered the shop, Iroh ushered Zuko to a neatly but cozy sitting area. With a loud sigh of relief he reclined into the chair with his eyes closed while Iroh prepared their tea in the kitchen.   
  


With skilled eyes he carefully selected the best leaves of lavender – to calm the mind – and mixed them with a pinch of dried ginger – to lift one’s spirit. Iroh had been informed on short notice that Zuko would come and visit him, the urgency revealed internal conflict and distress.

  
After the set of motions he could perform with his eyes closed, he returned to the seating area and placed two steaming, gilded cups on the table and took a seat next to the Fire Lord.

  
Before Iroh began to speak again, he took a moment to take in the drained form of his nephew.

  
“May I say, you look very unwell, Fire Lord Zuko,” He remarked concerned.

  
Zuko warily scanned the surroundings before he replied, even though he knew that no one was around to eavesdrop. He’d never used to be one to be paranoid, but the change of his title hadn’t been the only thing to change.

  
“Uncle, I came here because I don’t know what to do anymore,” his voice slightly cracked at the end, displaying the stress he’d experienced ever since his plans for the future vanished like the steam from the cups evaporating into the air.

  
Iroh said nothing and intently watched him, signaling him to continue talking.

  
“I don’t know who to trust, half of the Fire Nation despises me and the Earth Kingdom makes impossible demands,” he hissed while he put his head in his hands.

  
“Trust in the field of politics is very volatile and easily corrupted by power or by the prospect of losing such,” Iroh said thoughtfully.

  
“My brother as well as our father used Sozin’s legacy and united the nobility under the pretext of spreading prosperity and progress into the world. Whereas the Royal Family is thoroughly established within the Fire Nation, its support, especially by the nobility, is of utmost importance,” he absentmindedly caressed his long, grey beard in the manner of the old man he was.

  
“The war had enriched many and created a strong alliance to the regime of Ozai, the stability of decades now gone with the Great War,” Iroh recapped the situation Zuko found himself in painfully precise.

  
“I know!” Zuko hit with his fist on the table, the cups almost toppling from the impact. His hot-tempered nature had only increased due to the constant frustration. Iroh wasn’t taken aback at all, he was still used to his outbursts.

  
Zuko looked at him and exhaled.

  
“I know, Uncle,” he repeated in a more collected manner.

  
“It’s gotten to a point where I have to be afraid of being dethroned or worse,” his voice was low and Iroh’s hand stilled at his beard.

  
“The dissatisfaction of the general population can be overcome with time and creating chances,” Iroh chimed in, trying to shake off the uneasiness. “It’s a difficult period of transition,” he added.

  
“The worst is the Earth Kingdom.., you must’ve heard about Azula, right?” Zuko asked reluctantly, prepared to reveal what had happened. He had been anxious about this moment, because in all of Iroh’s kindness, Azula had been the corrupted, hopeless product of Ozai in his eyes and therefore a threat.

  
Unnoticed by Zuko, Iroh briefly squinted his eyes and began to contently sip at his tea.

  
“Yes, I’ve heard about it, though I’m afraid it wasn’t the truth?” He looked expectantly at Zuko, a knowing glimmer flickering in his eyes.

  
Zuko felt defeated and deflated – he really knew him too well.

  
He sighed, “No, it’s not the truth. Right now she’s on Kyoshi Island with Ty Lee in the disguise as a warrior,”

  
Iroh’s eyes widened significantly. While Zuko’s introduction to the topic told him that there was more to it, this was really a surprise.

  
“Oh my, are you certain about what you do? You know your sister very well. You must be aware of her relentless nature,” The content and calmness the tea brought him was now fully gone.

  
Zuko’s brows furrowed and he began to drink the hot liquid, feeling slightly relaxed. Until now, his reaction was fairly well.

  
“I once used to be like her,” Zuko eventually started with a weak voice, “we had both lost our ways on the pursue of our father’s approval. While you guided me towards the right path, she didn’t even know the path she took was wrong and held nothing but pain,”  
  


There was a familiar sting in the region where his heart beat. Thinking about his family always tended to inflict these burns within him. His mother had vanished, his father had been incarcerated. All that was left of his family was Azula – his little sister.

  
“I-I just…” he started but couldn’t find the right words, “You’ve given me a second and a third chance. You believed I could be something better. And even though I don’t think that Azula will ever really change, she’s all that’s left and she at least deserves a second chance, right?” Zuko’s hard features almost harbored a pleading expression, desperately wanting to be reassured of something that split his heart.  
  


“Right?”

  
“Hmm,” was all Iroh answered at first. He was deep in thoughts, his eyes closed and his hand resumed the task of stroking his beard.

  
“One who sacrifices their conscience to ambition, burns a picture to obtain the ashes,” he said at last, leaving Zuko even more clueless than before.  
  


He’d always appreciated Iroh’s words of wisdom, even if most of the time the meaning they held had reached him later than sooner.

  
“I don’t understand,” There were almost traces of disappointment found in his voice.  
  


He initially came here to be advised on how to proceed with the unacceptable demands of the Earth Kingdom, but he had also hoped for Iroh’s support in regards of Azula. He had been torn, aware of the danger she embodied, but still tied to his vison of a family.

  
“Azula is a force to be reckoned with. I’m absolutely certain that her driving power is your throne, Fire Lord Zuko, although she should know that it is futile,” his face contorted at the thought of the war still carrying on within the family.

  
“But she is on the loose now and I’m afraid Lady Ty Lee won’t be a guarantee for her as well as your safety,” it was as if he’d been hit by a blast of fire, without any kind of protection.  
  


The remaining color his face had maintained to hold fell upon hearing these discouraging words. He should’ve known better.  
  


Not even a year ago he had been hellbent to do whatever it took to stop her from continuing Ozai’s reign. But the world had changed ever since then – he had changed.  
  


Only Azula hadn’t changed.  
  


It seemed as if time had stood still and preserved in a way the Azula who had wanted to turn the Earth Kingdom into wastelands made of ashes.   
  


For the flicker of a second it was a compelling thought to Zuko. It surely would solve many of his problems but would create probably a dozen more than before.

  
Iroh noticed the distraught expression and briefly added, sincerely, “But Zuko, do not despair! I’m so proud to see you living my teachings – it’s a dear gift I will treasure,” he began with a lighter and affectionate tone, seeing the son he had lost in his nephew.

  
“We must always keep our hope and focus on the light in all the darkness. Hope is a flower that needs to be tended, but is able to endure darker times without withering. Azula is still young,” he added without saying anything else. He wasn’t feeding his mind with the possibility of her changing for the better, but he didn’t completely rule it out which lifted some weight off of Zuko’s chest.

  
This hadn’t been exactly what he’d been desperate to hear, but beginnings always started with a single step.

  
A small, knowing smile found its way onto Zuko’s lips, “I think I understand, Uncle,”

  
What he had to say next, however, immediately erased his brief moment of reassurance, “The Earth Kingdom wants to station soldiers in the Fire Nation in search of Azula. They don’t trust me and seem eager on retrieving her,” he said through gritted teeth, the muscles in his jaw steel from all the clenching in the past months.

  
That statement caught Iroh off guard.  
  


Zuko had never written in detail about the political issues that derived from losing the Great War as most of them were delicate information. He was, nonetheless, well informed about the current state the Fire Nation was in.  
  


But _this_ would be utterly devastating and humiliating to what was left of the spirit of his home country. Even he, who had freed himself from the claws of limited, nationalistic thinking was shook upon hearing it. Too many had lost their lives _and_ their dignity for too long, seeing as the world continued to strip his people of what’s left of them was simply heartbreaking.

  
Naturally, the losing side of any battle had to face repercussions, varying in the dimension of making amends. Starting a war that had wrapped the entire world for a century into misery required enormous resources to undo what couldn’t be undone. But the dimension of what was expected from the Fire Nation blew any sense of relativity.

  
To overcome these dark times, all nations must’ve strived for harmony in _every_ corner of the world.  
  


If things continued at this rate, a completely run-down country without any means or chances to rebuild on peace would definitely _not_ lead to a peaceful co-existence between all of them. If at all, it would only increase the resentment and hinder any progress and would at worst lead to yet another armed collision. Iroh was deeply distraught by the train of thought that ran through his head – it was all just too real. He knew that such state of a nation planted the seeds for those who didn’t seek unity with the world.

  
He didn’t even want to think about what Zuko’s more or less avoidable failure at keeping the Fire Nation over water meant for all those who’d supported Ozai and subsequently Azula.

  
Iroh was fairly aware of the support for the Princess.  
  


The general public had never known about her mental breakdown. She wasn’t known as the crazy, fallen Princess. She was still known as the war hero, as a loyal servant to her nation – lost and never seen again after the fateful Agni Kai.

  
“Even the strongest of roots wither in decayed soil,” he said eventually as sadness poured into him; the flower of the peaceful era had just begun to bloom and it was about to be plucked out again.

  
He took a large breath and gulped down the last drops of his tea. “Let me tell you a story, Fire Lord Zuko. And then you might know which path is the right one for you,”

  
And then Iroh told him something that Zuko would go over again and again in almost every waking moment until the summit of the Four Nations would take place.

~~~

Ty Lee knocked twice at the door to their bedroom, “Azula?”

  
The moment Suki had set foot in their house, the Princess locked herself away and didn’t answer any of her calls. The acrobat respected it at first, distracted with having her captain over to talk about anything and nothing and simultaneously taking her mind off of what had just happened moments before Suki interrupted both of them.

  
But the night already hung low over them, Suki was long gone and Ty Lee grew anxious.

  
Azula’s faint mumbled words were barely audible and moved the acrobat to finally open the door despite her uncertainty.

  
When she opened the door a surge of heat met her body. Burnt down candles, barely alive anymore and casting the room in a mysterious shade of blue, were scattered all over the room. Countless black streaks littered the scrolls that were spread before the Princess at the small desk. Azula stared deeply engrossed at them as if they possessed the ability to solve all of her problems.

  
With a slight delay, the Princess tore her gaze away and turned her head to acknowledge Ty Lee’s presence.

  
“Here,” she placed a bowl with cold food on the only spot of the desk that wasn’t covered.

  
“You need to eat something. It’s unfortunately not hot anymore – you didn’t answer when I called for you earlier,” she said sheepishly under Azula’s scrutinizing gaze.

  
“As you can see, I was busy,” Azula remarked as she inspected the plain meal with a slight wrinkled nose but took it anyway and began to slowly eat while she started to drift off again.

  
“With what exactly?” Ty Lee asked after some moments had passed.  
  


It was an innocent question that was asked partly out of interest and partly out of the need to fill the air with something, anything to disperse the tension that welled up again – even stronger now after their heated encounter.

  
“None of your concern,” Azula drawled and slightly narrowed her eyes at the curious girl. The paranoia had ceased to be her companion several months after the war had ended. A good sprinkled measure of suspicion remained still – even at the girl she couldn’t help but start to slowly trust again.

  
Ty Lee boldly leaned herself against the desk in the fashion she’d been pressed against the table by Azula that afternoon, right next to the Princess. She wouldn’t even try to read what was written so openly on all these papers.   
  


That was the power Azula held over her.   
  


That was what she made her do without even uttering a single command.

  
A small, shallow chuckle escaped the smaller girl, “I should’ve known that you’re not gonna sit still,”  
  


Her voice sounded steady, almost upbeat. Her eyes, however, told a different story entirely.

  
She stared at the ceiling, not wanting to see these resolute, golden eyes which seemed almost grey in these blue, flickering lights.

  
Azula’s suspicion proved to be right, but she didn’t feel unnerved at all.   
  


That girl that had called clouds ‘fluffy’ and had wished upon sleeping on them, that girl that always wore a smile on her face and her heart on her sleeve had picked up upon Azula’s scheming.  
  


Ty Lee didn’t know anything. She didn’t know what, how, when. But Ty Lee knew with dire certainty that whatever it was, Azula would see it through – no matter how tiny the shred of winning her own war against the world was. She’d never lost her fierceness and if it weren’t for her maybe losing Azula for good, she would be completely swept away once more.

  
“You tend to misjudge me fairly often,” Azula replied cavalierly, not even fazed one bit by discussing something, which secrecy was of utmost importance.

  
“I maybe even know you too well,” Ty Lee countered undeterred, smiling at Azula and looking for the first time directly into her eyes.

  
A mirthless laughter crept through the room, “Well, aren’t you amusing, Ty Lee? Elaborate your unfounded claim,”she waved with her hands, urging Ty Lee to continue.

  
“I know you good enough to know that no matter how dangerous and how small the possibility of succeeding is, you will do it anyways,” Ty Lee confidently said and Azula slowly nodded in approval.

  
“And I also know that no matter what I would say, you wouldn’t stay,” the confidence within her voice didn’t waver as it was a sad reality for Ty Lee. What was there left to do when the person she liked – no, _loved_ – would go head on into battle with a world that was eager to find and convict her?

  
After weeks of confusion and doubts, the acrobat was now certain that she thoroughly loved Azula – in a romantic way.  
  


The thoughts of loving a woman had never crossed her mind before and thus the revelation had shaken her deeply. She couldn’t explain it herself, the way she suddenly felt so inexplicably explicable about the Princess. After their kiss, however, she knew that those were the lips she wanted to devour. She knew that this was the taste she’d never be able to forget.

  
“Indeed, both of your points are correct,” Azula affirmed her while she stood up and rolled up all the scrolls. She neatly stowed them away and turned to the still at the desk leaning Ty Lee.

  
“None of us is meant to stay here. I wouldn’t want you to turn into a casualty after all,” she said nonchalantly while she passed the acrobat.  
  


The remainders of the blue fire revealed an indecipherable flicker in the Princess’ eyes that left her briefly stunned. She had a hard time determining if this had been a warning or if this had been Azula’s way of caring.

  
Disregarding the how, with who and when, it wasn’t that hard to guess what Azula’s ultimate goal would be: Ascending to the throne.

  
What exactly would she do if she really were to become Fire Lord?   
  


What would she be _capable_ of doing?

  
Ty Lee’s mind hadn’t had enough time to ponder these questions for her mouth exclaiming suddenly words which were devoid of any doubts.

  
“Wherever you want to go, let me come with you, Princess!”

  
Within the dim light, Ty Lee could spot her momentarily risen, questioning brows while she gracefully reclined onto the bed. The acrobat had to blush despite herself.  
  


The atmosphere was all of a sudden electrifying as the images of Azula getting closer to her while she had boldly spread her legs flooded her system. There laid the Princess of the Fire Nation with her ever so teasing robe on the bed.   
  


The one who had selfishly used her for her own ends, but the acrobat was unable to hold it against her and couldn’t help but long for more – whatever the feelings on Azula’s side might be. 

  
The Princess propped herself on the elbow and looked deeply into Ty Lee’s dark eyes that held no dishonesty.

  
“You’ve always been such a flighty girl,” Azula remarked almost affectionately as she began to casually play with a bright, blue flame with her other hand.  
  


The light highlighted Azula’s striking contours, illuminating her intense gaze when she said, “But there will be no next time for you, if you decide to change sides again,”

  
With that the dying flames of the candles considerably rose one last time, clothing the room in the awe-inspiring, beautiful blue Ty Lee always used to admire. Azula’s bangs began to move by the intensity of the flame in her hand, almost as if she’d been just kissed by the wind.

  
The smaller girl gasped.  
  


This was unmistakably a warning issued by the firebending Prodigy – one Azula secretly knew herself she could never follow suit – as pathetic and despicable that was.

  
The candles died with a last breath of life and casted the bedroom in darkness.

  
Ty Lee stilled at the desk but wouldn’t waver.  
  


In her heart she’d never changed sides. She doubted Azula would hear her out, so she would take a different route this time.

  
“Will you come with me for a walk, Azula? I know you probably want to go to sleep now but there’s something I really wanna show you,”

  
It took quite a while to convince the Princess, but if there was one thing Ty Lee had found out, then it was the fact that not even Azula could withstand her ways of persuasion.

  
They had walked along the shore, just like that night after Ty Lee had wanted to celebrate the Princess giving her a second chance. The acrobat had wanted to show her something then. The imminent thunderstorm, however, had taken any possibility to do so.

  
The evening was rather mild in comparison to the past week and Azula’s loose robe – the one she’d used the night they fled from the Fire Nation – danced in the wind. Azula was rather grumpy for having to change clothes again for something she’d thought would be insignificant, whereas Ty Lee was giddy all the way.

  
The smaller girl didn’t know how Azula would react to what she was about to show her.  
  


Would she ridicule her?

  
After some time walking along the shore and climbing over small, separating stones they had reached one of the most secluded beaches of the island. It was a rather tiny section, located at the edge of the foothills of one of Kyoshi’s mountains.

  
Azula shot her a slightly annoyed, questioning glance when the acrobat told her that they had reached their destination.

  
“It’s a secret spot, one I’ve discovered days after I first arrived here,” she said with a big, excited grin.   
  


The Princess clearly couldn’t share Ty Lee’s enthusiasm at this rather plain strip of the shore, littered with too many small pebbles and boulders.

  
“What is it that you wanted to show me? You clearly didn’t bring me here to see the beauty Kyoshi has to offer,” Azula hissed as she inspected the area with disdain. She couldn’t fathom just what exactly had been so important to drag her all the way down there.

  
“Come, I’ll show you,” and with that she softly took Azula’s hand and led her over to one of the foothills. There laid a big stone, half the size of Ty Lee, frozen in time.

  
The acrobat drew over the hard surface of the stone with her unoccupied hand in search of an indentation. When she’d felt it with her hands she asked Azula to shed some light, so the Princess herself could see what the girl was so excited albeit nervous for.

  
When Azula caught sight of the symbol engraved into that stone, she couldn’t stifle the genuine surprise escaping her throat.

  
“Do you remember?”

_They were around the age of eight and playing in the Royal Garden._   
  


_It was summer and Ursa had yet to vanish into the night, never to be seen again._

__  
Mai was at her usual shaded place under the tree, watching Azula and Ty Lee running, fighting and cartwheeling their ways through the garden. After some time both of them slumped down in the shade next to her with Ty Lee happily chatting their worries away.  
  


_It was when she’d mentioned hearing one of her sisters saying she wasn’t friends with someone anymore that introduced the disaster which would ruin their rather peaceful afternoon._

__  
“I heard Ty Lao talking about one of her friends this morning. They fought and she said that they weren’t friends anymore!” Ty Lee exclaimed exasperated, with her big, dark eyes.  
  


_She alternately looked from Mai to Azula, waiting for their nod of approval._   
  


_The concept of someone_ not _being a friend anymore was completely alien to the naïve girl._  
  


_Mai shrugged, she didn’t care if Ty Lee’s sister got into a quarrel and quitted a friendship. Unlike Ty Lee, she didn’t regard the concept of friendship as something holy. Mai had friends when she’d been even younger, and now Ty Lee and Azula were her friends._   
  


_They came and went. Mai was okay with that even though the thought of not being around those two anymore did inflict something akin to sadness._

_  
“She surely must’ve dishonored her,” Azula chimed in, completely ignoring Ty Lee’s hopeful glance to prove her right._

_  
“Ty Lao said that she had spread the rumor that she couldn’t sleep without her stuffed animal. I love stuffed animals!” the acrobat was momentarily distracted by the happiness the thought of stuffed animals brought her before she regained her train of thought, “You, me and Mai, we are inseparable, right? Best friends that no one can bring down!” Her arms shot into the air in a cheerful manner, ready to take both of them into a tight hug._

__  
“Friendship isn’t forever, silly!” Azula declared and put off the young girl’s good mood.  
  


_Ty Lee’s tight grip on Mai completely stilled and her eyes went wide open. Her lips slightly began to tremble before she let out loud howls of crying. She swiftly sprang up and ran away, leaving Azula and Mai on their own._

__  
The young Royalty didn’t understand her outburst.  
  


_“Why is she crying?” Azula asked irritated as she ripped several blades of grass out of the soil._

__  
“You just told her that we won’t be friends anymore someday,” Mai sighed, she should’ve anticipated that and give Azula a hint to not say something like this.  
  


_“You have to go and say sorry,”_

_  
“Why?” The little soon-to-be Princess pursed her lips in discontentment. Apologizing always made her feel all uncomfortable and undignified._

_  
“She won’t stop crying otherwise and I really don’t want that,” There went another deep sigh._

__  
Azula huffed but eventually decided to go after the young acrobat.  
  


_She_ did _hate it when Ty Lee cried._

_  
She found the huddled figure behind a large tree at the very end of the garden, her sobbing still prominent._

__  
Azula felt stupid as she stood still as a statue next to the girl.  
  


_She possessed the mental ability to remember the whole content of a history textbook and was already able to perform all the stances of firebending. But something as petty as apologizing and comforting rendered her unable to move._

_  
“I’m sorry, Ty Lee,” it took great effort on Azula’s side to let these words roll over her tongue. They were barely audible and said with as much speed as she was capable of to get it over with as fast as possible. Her small hands were intertwined nervously at her front and she looked anywhere but at the huddled girl._

__  
But Ty Lee didn’t stop crying, she was just too shaken by the thought of their friendship ending someday.  
  


_“Come on, I apologized, didn’t I?” Ty Lee’s crying was enough of an answer to see that it hadn’t been sufficient._

__  
Azula grew impatient. She thought telling her sorry would make everything okay again.  
  


_She was obviously mistaken._

__  
After Ty Lee’s sobs didn’t seem to subdue any time soon, Azula took a place next to the acrobat.  
  


_She scanned her mind to find anything useful to disperse Ty Lee’s sadness. She knew that the acrobat loved stories and she remembered a mystic tale she’d secretly read in the dragonbone catacombs._

_  
“If you stop crying, I will tell you a story,” Azula was pretty much desperate at this point. Fortunately, Ty Lee’s sobs silenced and she pulled her head out of her arms and stared expectantly at her with wet eyes._

_  
Azula picked up a nearby fallen branch to write something into the soil. It was a symbol – a ‘v’ with a crescent._

_  
“What is that symbol, Azula?” Ty Lee asked with a weak, strained voice._

__  
“I’ve read in an ancient scroll about a god called Mitra. He used to be a sun god but was also named the god of friendship. This is his symbol. In the scroll he was described as watching over all people through the sun, encouraging all those to lead happy and fulfilling friendships as well as relationships.” Ty Lee hang onto her every word, completely enthralled by her story. Her mouth was slightly agape and there were still tears glimmering on her cheeks, but Azula’s story gradually heightened her mood.  
  


_“His significance was reduced considerably when Agni – the god of Fire – appeared in written heritages,” she continued retelling what she'd learnt from that scroll._

_  
“I’m not one to believe tales like this, but if Mitra does exist, I hope he looks upon us with content and blesses us with a long-lasting friendship,” The blush on Azula’s cheeks was threatening to take over her whole body. This was utterly embarrassing and sappy and only this girl could make her talk such nonsense._

  
“Oh, Azula!” her tiny arms were tightly wrapped around her neck and pulled her closely into a hug.   
  


_“Do you really think that?” She released Azula from her tight hug and stared deeply into her golden eyes._

_  
Azula shook off the uneasiness and reminded herself to stay dignified._

_  
She returned Ty Lee’s glance with confidence and a rare, soft smile._

_  
“Yes,”_

  



	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry for the delay and for the shortness of this chapter.  
> Uni is tough at the moment.
> 
> To kinda make up for it, I drew ya'll Azula (unrelated to the chapter)

“No,” Azula lied effortlessly as she inspected the slightly fainted engraved symbol in the light of her blue fire.  
  


Her fingers drew over the jagged edges, feeling the cold stone and every small carve the instrument Ty Lee had used left.  
  


“I don’t remember,” she added absentmindedly and deeply in thoughts. Her words were soft, devoid of any of its sharpness and edge it usually harbored.  
  


Her gaze was fixed on that seemingly insignificant attempt she had made to stop Ty Lee from shedding another tear. The Princess recognized the symbol, of course, and knew what meaning it was supposed to hold.  
  


But she didn’t want to be reminded of it.  
  


That time, Azula had meant what she’d said to the little, sobbing girl. The Princess had been blessed with raw talent, a sharp mind and the resources to become one of the most powerful firebenders of her era. But she wasn’t blessed with the loyalty of those she had considered the closest to her.   
  


Ty Lee slightly frowned at her response, the glimmer of joy in her eyes extinguished like the fire in Azula’s hand would.  
  


The Princess was infamous for her excellent skills in lying, but the way she mustered the symbol and the expression she wore, told the acrobat all she needed to confirm her suspicion. It made her slightly sad that she had denied it.  
  


“Liar,” Ty Lee exclaimed as she pursed her lip and crossed her arms.  
  


Azula turned her head to the other girl for the first time after seeing what Ty Lee had been so eager to show her.  
  


She quirked a brow at being called out by her.  
  


“Perhaps I do remember,” Azula shrugged eventually as she breathed the life out of the flame in her hand and leaned against the boulder with the engraved symbol of friendship.  
  


“And perhaps you do realize that this symbol only states the failure of you keeping the silent promise we had made that day,” she continued calm and collected.   
  


In order to remain dignified, one needed to keep their composure always, no matter how badly unshown emotions wanted to break free. Ty Lee, on the other hand, had never cared about such things. She had always shown what she felt inside and there had been instances where Azula found this to be an admirable trait.  
  


Right now, however, wasn’t any of these instances.  
  


Ty Lee shook her head, inhaled deeply and opened her mouth but nothing came out. She wasn’t sure if what she were to say would provoke Azula.  
  


Fear was a component within their difficult friendship that never really left and lingered always – much to Ty Lee’s dismay. She didn’t want to be afraid, she wanted to be as carefree and careless as around everyone else.  
  


Over the course of the past weeks, however, the omnipresent fear actually had diminished more than just a little, enabling her to act more boldly and truer to her own feelings.  
  


The acrobat gulped down any last remainder of her concern at speaking freely and let herself get carried away by what she’d felt. It was a thought she would’ve never dared to voice, but she couldn’t hold it back anymore.  
  


“I wouldn’t have had to betray you, if you hadn’t betrayed me first,” her words were meant to come across as confident and steady, but the determination left her lungs with every new word until it became nonexistent.  
  


The calm exterior Azula wanted to maintain dissipated partly into the cool night air.  
  


What she had just heard was too absurd.  
  


“ _I_ betrayed _you_?” The Princess asked incredulously and left her place against the stone.  
  


She walked towards the scrunching figure in front of her. Ty Lee couldn’t help but flinch ever so slightly at her raised voice and the shift in her demeanor.  
  


But the darkness, only partly broken by the dim light of the moon, enveloped them and gave the acrobat a weird sense of confidence. Azula might hear her weakness in her voice, but it wouldn’t be supported by her blurry expression.  
  


“You promised me a long-lasting friendship and I followed you always – even if it meant leaving behind the life that made me happy the most,” she found strength in reliving what Azula had taken from her. In that moment, it didn’t matter that she had come to love her new life led by Azula all the same.   
  


“But you betrayed me – _us_ – the second you wanted to seriously harm Mai. I couldn’t keep being your friend anymore if anything were to happen, no matter how much I loved you, Azula,” She was breathless by now and her arms gestured as wildly as the emotions twirled within her.  
  


It was exhilarating to speak out loud what would possibly call Azula’s wrath upon her.  
  


“Mai knew the consequences of her actions,” Azula’s mouth distorted into a snarl, “What did you expect me to do, Ty Lee? Congratulate her on turning into a traitor and wish her a merry farewell?” she clenched her fists and felt the great urge to firebend, but she knew that it would leave suspicious traces that would cause too much of a hassle.  
  


“She chose love, Azula. I wouldn’t have hesitated either if it had been you on the gondola,” Despite herself, her hands flew to her mouth and that gesture revealed more than her words ever could.   
  


Judging from the Princess’ lack of response, she must’ve noticed it.  
  


Noticed the slip that could’ve been simply interpreted as friendly love if it weren’t for her rash reaction. The acrobat was completely flabbergasted by herself and frantically searched for a way out of this.  
  


Her slip, however, was involuntarily capable of calming the storm that brewed on the Princess’ horizon. The betrayal of both Mai and Ty Lee – especially Ty Lee – sat deep in her bones still.  
  


Before she could even make an effort, Azula completely dismissed it.  
  


The acrobat wasn’t entirely sure if she should be happy or sad to be let off the hook so easily. It seemed as if the Princess didn’t care about this at all.  
  


“Love,” she began mockingly and acted disgusted, “is weakness, Ty Lee. This _love_ brought our nation to its ruin. Do you really not care?” Azula asked genuinely and got closer to the smaller girl.  
  


She was irritated, yes, but Ty Lee saw in her barely visible expression room for objection.  
  


That was new.  
  


“I believe that love can make or break you – it can make you weak, but it can also make you strong,” Ty Lee began undeterred and looked directly into these ever-glowing golden eyes, which never failed to captivate her.  
  


“Love can be anything really,” she added with that big, dazzling smile that seemed to ignite weird feelings within the Princess.   
  


“Perhaps you’ve been one time too many at a fortune teller,” Azula tried her hardest to dismiss and shrug off the words that started to coat her head. What that airhead of a girl claimed was just too plausible for her liking.  
  


Ty Lee’s grin slowly faded and was replaced by pursed lips.  
  


After a moment had passed, she snapped her fingers and her large smile reappeared.  
  


Azula cocked a brow when she took her hand in hers. She cupped her warm hand with both of hers and asked Azula to create a small flame. The intrigued Princess obliged after scrutinizing her briefly and a small blue flame erupted from her turned palm.  
  


“So?” She questioned the girl with a hint of impatience and a sprinkled measure of annoyance. She stemmed her unoccupied hand into her hip and knew this would lead nowhere.  
  


Momentarily struck with awe upon seeing the flame so close, she started her plan with a slight delay.  
  


“When I once said how beautiful I find your unique blue fire, you were slightly exasperated and said that the fire’s sole purpose is destruction,” her voice was soft, her timid hands still cupping Azula’s.  
  


“It’s exactly the same, isn’t it?” Ty Lee laughed and the blue fire was reflected in both their eyes. The Princess’ held wary curiosity, Ty Lee’s held no humor – only earnest.   
  


“Elaborate,” Azula demanded more regally as she noted with disdain the warmth from the acrobat’s softly caressing fingers spreading from her hand into her head.   
  


“Fire can be so much more than being only destructive,” she moved one hand fearlessly to the flame to the point of almost touching it. Azula had to suppress the urge to jerk away in order to not burn her.  
  


“It can shed light to the darkness, it can embrace you with warmth,” her voice was so soft, it was almost a whisper while her eyes flickered from the flame to the vibrant eyes of Azula.   
  


“You could hurt me with it, or…” Her hand wandered back from the flame to her hand and gently closed it, extinguishing the flame in the process, “you could bring me joy and light and warmth,”   
  


Azula was completely still, so the acrobat continued – she didn’t notice that she had stunned the Princess.  
  


“Sometimes my crushes made me sad and sometimes they made me happy. Sometimes fire might hurt and sometimes it brings only good things. Love and pain, it’s never just one thing,” a deep blush began to color her cheeks and her eyebrows were raised in uncertainty. Little did Azula know that she were one of her crushes - even more than that. Ty Lee was glad that the darkness enveloped them again.  
  


She had been so caught up in the moment that she didn’t realize what exactly she’d said. Her doubts grew even bigger after the stillness of the Princess continued on and her gilded gaze didn’t leave hers.  
  


It was a powerful revelation – one Azula’s mother had never taught her and one her father intentionally twisted to fit his whims.  
  


The Princess hadn’t anticipated to be so _moved_ by something so simple and yet so profound.  
  


She was briefly rendered speechless, because what Ty Lee said made sense.  
  


Way too much sense.  
  


If she would accept it to be true, way too many things that had happened in her life would be regarded differently and she didn’t want that. So instead of letting her fast mind analyze and dissects events of her past, her body moved on it’s own accord to stop that from happening.  
  


“Azula…?” Ty Lee saw as the still figure before began to move towards her and for the fraction of a second, she weighed the option of going into defense mode. Her heartrate had increased rapidly, pumping the blood fiercely through her veins.  
  


There had been no indicator of danger, but the acrobat could’ve never foreseen what she would do.  
  


Azula _hugged_ her and the sudden sensation of the Princess’ body pressed against hers made Ty Lee’s knees buckle, so that the arms that were slung around her thin waist had to support her.  
  


To say she was shocked was an understatement.  
  


She was completely bewildered – but in a good kind of way – that Azula initiated a hug.  
  


She hugged her!  
  


The Princess had never really disliked the acrobat being so touchy feely, but she hadn’t ever really initiated something like that.  
  


Slowly, after processing what was happening, Ty Lee’s arm timidly encircled her neck and reciprocated the gesture. Azula’s embrace was strangely soft and yielding, something that one could never really imagine with her icy demeanor and those high walls she kept around herself at all times.  
  


There was something in the way Azula’s arms were so tightly wrapped around her and the way her face was almost nuzzling into the crook of her neck that felt so _intimate_.  
  


Their heated encounter from that afternoon had been exhilarating, thrilling and made her throb in a place her heart wasn’t home. The texture of her lips and the feeling of Azula being pressed into her parted legs engraved itself in Ty Lee’s brain like the symbol in the stone. It was intimate, of course, but still their embrace strangely felt even more so.  
  


Beneath her palms she felt Azula stir and she braced herself for the loss of contact. The Princess retracted herself, but before Ty Lee’s hands fully left her, they lingered for a moment at her slender neck.   
  


After their embrace broke off they remained mute and close.  
  


“I care by the way,” Ty Lee broke the silence at last with words that were barely a whisper, “but you know me, I’m not as smart as you. I don’t know what to do, Azula,”   
  


Why was it reassuring to hear that from her?  
  


Did Azula really care if someone as flighty as Ty Lee would remember where she came from?   
  


Apparently she did.  
  


“I know what to do,” Ty Lee could practically hear her smirk, but Azula didn’t feel as much of certainty as she let on.


	16. Chapter 16

Marina - End Of The Earth

Every morning, ever since Azula had set foot onto this insignificant island, had been the same.

  
Every morning she would wake up and rise with the sun with Ty Lee still lingering in the vast landscapes of sleep – enriching the quietness of a new day with her light snores.

  
Every morning she would retighten the loosened knot around her thin but healthier waist, holding her robe neatly in place.

  
Every morning she would occupy her usual place at the simple, round table with a great outlook on the serenely crashing waves in the near distance – creating faint sounds ever prominent in this house. She would then use the few remaining quiet moments to add new colors to her masterpiece that would be her ultimate return on the world stage before Ty Lee would awake and distract her.

  
Every morning, ever since Azula had arrived here a month ago, had been the same.  
  


Except for today it didn’t feel the same anymore.

  
Something felt off.

  
Something felt different and the Princess just couldn’t put her finger on what exactly it was.

  
Ty Lee appeared in the kitchen – much too enthusiastic despite her still sleep shaken state – as usual. She fixed them breakfast and helped Azula later on with applying the 'obnoxious paint' as Azula liked to call it and with the many layers of the Kyoshi Warrior uniform that made her miss the elegant simplicity of the ones back in the Fire Nation.

  
They had fallen contentedly into a routine without meaning to, into their own quite peaceful rhythm. But a major shift had happened between them – especially within Ty Lee – before Azula’s very eyes and yet her mind couldn’t decipher the look in Ty Lee’s eyes which would always linger a moment longer than necessary. She couldn’t analyze the twitch in the corners of Ty Lee’s lips before a radiant, dazzling smile would cover up the aforementioned slip of the acrobat’s bottled up feelings.

  
It wasn’t in the nature of Azula’s genius and restless mind to discard what she couldn’t understand. Her mind was trained to work efficiently while going the extra mile with the confidence of conquering even the toughest of problems. Her mind was trained to not back down until victory stepped over her threshold.

  
She as a born leader was expected to make the distinction between factors which were important and those which were not. She as a born leader was to detect and incorporate even the most minor occurrences into their calculations for the devil was in the details.

  
With the burning desire and the delicate expectation to soon assume the throne of a fallen empire, however, she couldn’t possibly be thrown out of concept by something as petty as the unusual high feminine pitch of Ty Lee’s laughter after she’d complain again about the lifestyle of Earth Kingdom commoners. Azula couldn’t possibly be stopped dead in her tracks at the assault by Ty Lee’s sweet fragrance whenever she was close or passed her.

  
One month had passed and one month was left until Ozai’s trial would take place and one month ago Ty Lee’s presence hadn’t had affected her in the way it did now.

  
From now on it was only one month to win or to lose it all. And instead of going through the next steps of her plan with Nami, she mulled over that flighty, cartwheeling and much too bubbly girl.

  
A creeping suspicion crawled its way into Azula’s thoughts as they left the house to make their way to the warrior’s training room. It twirled in her head like Ty Lee’s russet bangs tousled in the warm morning breeze.

  
For all of her inability to dissect the actions and motives of her childhood friend and for all of her disunity with her own body, the latent threat that loomed over her had never been as crystal clear as it was now.

  
The danger lied not within her mind this time and it wasn’t the possibility of Ty Lee betraying her again either.

  
The impending betrayal came from herself – more specifically from her own body.

  
“Ain’t it a wonderful morning?” Ty Lee grinned with seemingly all her might as she walked backwards to face Azula while they were still going. She nervously wrung her hands behind her back as Azula’s gaze shifted to her.

  
“Yes, wonderful,” the Princess replied with a deadpan expression. Right now, she couldn’t care less about the weather. The outside temperature had yet to peak while Azula had been internally boiling ever since she couldn’t get rid of these reoccurring thoughts.

  
Ty Lee’s idle smile dangling in the air and her long eyelashes fluttering one more time before she turned around didn’t go unnoticed.

  
“So,…” The acrobat started after a moment had passed – the Princess was unable to see her face. “About yesterday,” her voice was upbeat and yet tamed, her hands still nervously intertwined behind her back in the manner of a young, shy girl at the academy.

  
“There’s nothing to say,” Azula immediately replied sternly, almost out of reflex.

  
What was there to say?

  
The occurrences of yesterday wouldn’t leave her alone. No matter how hard she’d tried to concentrate and attach her attention to what was really important. Whenever she’d catch sight of Ty Lee, or hear her, her mind would utterly shut down and surrender to its more primitive needs.

  
What they had done – what she’d _wanted_ Ty Lee to do – derived presumably from the frustration that constantly ate at her. It wasn’t, however, the frustration only. It was the mixture of her dissatisfaction coupled with teenage-induced _lust_.

  
How else could Azula justify the kisses, the touches – the desire?

  
“I think there’s a lot to say,” It looked as if the acrobat did casually disagree with Princess Azula albeit her insides twisted while doing so. Her big smile, however, didn’t falter but her eyes, tinged with uncertainty, displayed the conflict all the same.

  
A deep scowl plastered the Princess’ face.   
  


Since when did she start to counter her like that?  
  


In a perfect world, she would’ve immediately intervened and would’ve set a _memorable_ example for backtalking. But this world was far from perfect and Ty Lee would’ve never been the victim of being made an example of.

  
And that was the danger – it was almost as if Ty Lee had acquired some sort of immunity, allowing her to do however she pleased without fearing any repercussions by the Princess. Azula grew more and more aware of that fact and could only do as much as to helplessly stand by and watch her fatal attraction unfold.

  
“Since when do you talk to me like that?” Azula reached out and pulled at Ty Lee’s hand, bringing them face to face. Her frown was still apparent, but her voice oozed of genuine curiosity.

  
The words of apology wanted to immediately roll off of Ty Lee’s tongue, but she bit it.

  
“Like what?” she squeezed Azula’s hand and felt the textures of their gloves rub together.

  
Instead of aggravating her, Ty Lee’s coy and cheeky smile activated wires of nerves in her stomach. Azula briefly closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose with her other hand.

  
Ty Lee was _different_.  
  


Was this situation – this bold and unabashed girl – the result of her trying to _not_ build friendships on fear and intimidation?

  
“If you want to say something, you may talk,” Azula mustered up her most regal and indifferent tone in face of the control the other girl was stripping so effortlessly off of her, ignoring her earlier question.

  
Her smoldering, golden eyes met with gentle, obsidian ones and Ty Lee wanted to fall to her knees in that instant.

  
Before the acrobat would speak up and try to cover up the tremor in her voice, she lightly tugged at Azula’s hand and urged them to continue walking. The training room wasn’t that far away anymore and the contortionist knew that it wasn’t the ideal place and time to talk about that. As so often, she’d spoken before really thinking about it.

  
“Yesterday had been crazy, right?” A nervous chuckle escaped her throat as she glanced from their surprisingly still connected hands to Azula.

  
“Yesterday had been like any other day,” the Prodigy waved with her unoccupied hand to emphasize the indifference she certainly didn’t feel.

  
“I didn’t know you’ve been kissing me ever since you arrived,” Ty Lee teased her and tried to keep the mood light while walking on eggshells with the destination being unknown.

  
Azula’s head shot up at that. She recognized the flirty undertone and couldn’t ignore the excitement she suddenly felt.

  
Bold.   
  


The acrobat had become too bold maybe. In a strange way, Azula liked that.

  
This conversation had turned into a tug of war of who obtained the upper hand in regards of this delicate matter, and Ty Lee had been unusually persistent and even seemed to win. If Azula were to let go of her cool and get mad and angry, she would definitely lose and _that_ was really no option.

  
“It certainly wasn’t the first time, now was it? If I recall correctly, you’d been _begging_ me to do it before,” Now that was more to Azula’s taste, she felt in control again. Her smirk widened when she saw Ty Lee’s face contorting into surprise for a fraction of a second before she could recover it.

  
The acrobat bit her lip to suppress her grin from spilling over. That was actually _fun_ and it was a welcome but unexpected twist to have Azula participating in her playful bantering.

  
“You must be mistaken. I remember you finding me irresistible,” Their hands disconnected since the acrobat made a dramatic swooning pose to support her argument. She knew that the Princess was right, but where would’ve been all the fun in that? After weeks of confusion, fear and later on acceptance and fear of being found out, this was lifting her up immensely.   
  


To her dismay, the training room came into view way too fast. Azula must’ve noticed as well for what she would say next was the winning hit.

  
Involuntarily, and strangely in sync, both their steps had slowed down until they eventually halted just where they were out of sight from the gathering Kyoshi Warriors. Both their eyes took in the people in the near distance and traveled back to each other in silent understanding.

  
Azula took one last glance to the other people and began to step closer to the acrobat with a mischievous glint in her golden orbs. Holding her breath, Ty Lee attentively watched as Azula walked around her and stopped behind her.

  
Azula’s gloved hands sneaked around her armored waist and Ty Lee froze.

  
“You might be right about that,” she whispered these words directly into her ear and Ty Lee couldn’t believe it still. She began to get hot by the Princess’ proximity and her _flirting_. It was enticing and she never wanted it to stop.

  
Did Azula just admit..?

  
As quick as it had begun, it ended and Azula walked undeterred to the training room with a big, smug smile – leaving Ty Lee momentarily on her own devices until she’d regain her self-control from Azula’s tactics.

  
She quickly caught up with the still smirking Princess and joined the others in the training room.

  
“Good morning, everyone,” placed in front of the warriors, Suki greeted them friendly while remaining an air of authority around her.

  
After they bowed, she continued, “I have an important announcement to make before we start with the morning drill: The Kyoshi Warriors have been requested as body guards in time of Ozai’s trial.” Suki’s eyes scanned the group and rested on Azula when she mentioned her father.  
  


Unfortunately, her face was as unreadable as always. Despite the resentment she felt for the Royalty, she couldn’t deny the pinch of intrigue she felt when it came to Azula.   
  


“Over the course of the day, I will determine who will accompany me on this task. We still need warriors positioned here,”

  
When the leader of the warriors ended her announcement, lively mumbling started. Suki and Ty Lee exchanged looks and the acrobat immediately knew that she would be the first.

  
After the morning drill, the warriors were commanded to go through new stances while Suki picked out Ty Lee as expected. They took some steps away from the practicing group but were still in sight.

  
“So, who requested our protection?” Ty Lee started airily while she suppressed the urge to glance back at Azula’s enrapturing, gracefully moving body.

  
“It was actually Zuko. There had been a minor incident back at the Royal Palace. Fortunately, he hadn’t been there. I’ve received his message just this morning,” Suki’s seriousness was in stark contrast to the acrobat’s lightheadedness.

  
“He fears that those who still support Ozai will start a great riot,” her eyes wandered over to Azula. Ty Lee followed her path and looked at her questioningly.

  
“You shouldn’t worry so much, everything’s gonna be fine,” Ty Lee shrugged off Suki’s invisible burden and tried to play the optimistic girl. She felt slightly bad.

  
She didn’t know how or what exactly, but Ty Lee knew that Azula had been plotting for a longer time now and that Suki had _every_ right to worry.

  
A sigh flew through Suki’s lips as her gaze refocused on the friend before her.

  
“He hadn’t informed me yet where to go from here with _her_ , but in any case you will stay on Kyoshi while I’m away with the others. I’m entrusting you to keep her close and out of reach of.. just anything. Do you think you can handle that?” She asked with concern and doubt accentuating her eyes.

  
Ty Lee replied with a firm yes to everything she’d said. Suki briefly smiled at her softly before they walked back to the group where the leader picked out Nami for a talk.  


~~~

The Kyoshi Warriors were done with their day earlier than usual due to Suki needing time to sort out and plan their next mission.

  
Ty Lee deeply sighed out of relief. All day long she had not-so-secretly again stolen glances at the Princess, who had caught her looking more often than not. And every damn time her smug smile from the morning would reappear and make her incredibly flustered all over again. The Princess truly had won that round and the acrobat was eager to get pay back.

  
Ty Lee was much too absorbed into the whims of their complicated friendship to realize that their time together was running out sooner than later.

  
Earlier, Azula had taken notice of Suki’s announcement with great interest. It surely was a gamechanger and forced her to take measurements sooner than planned.

  
But just as the whole morning felt different and simply off to her, the news weren’t affecting her in a way it normally would have. Pondering this strange development, however, was futile when she was walking right next Ty Lee.

  
Their game was still reverberating in her veins accompanied by the want to play it again.

  
“Hey, can we make a detour?” The acrobat suddenly asked and earned a cocked brow in response.   
  


Normally, the Princess would’ve gone straight home – uninterested in wherever it would take Ty Lee.   
  


Normally – but nothing was normal anymore to Azula. So she complied and the acrobat was more than happy about it.

  
Instead of walking the path through the sparse forest towards their house, Ty Lee took Azula by her hand and led them right into the woods.

  
It had been a sunny, hot day but next to the trees only some sunrays found its way to the pair standing in front of a small pond. It wasn’t exactly a pond, it more looked like a natural pool with crystal clear water to the Princess. It was an outstanding sight.

  
Several cat-otters reigned over their small out-of-place kingdom and immediately flocked to Ty Lee upon seeing her. She greeted them and talked to them as if they were real persons while she was feeding them with some bread she had taken from lunch break.

  
The Princess watched the scene for some moments until she paid more attention to her surroundings.  
  


The sparse forest wasn’t a big one albeit they were thoroughly encircled by it. It was an odd spot. The natural pool didn’t look like it belonged here and these animals had been unknown to her until now. The vegetation slightly differed from what she’d seen so far. The small clearing seemed more colorful and she thought to understand why Ty Lee brought her here.

  
“Shall we?” Ty Lee pulled Azula out of her observation while she began to unclasp her shoulder protectors.

  
“Shall we do what?” She asked while she turned around to see the acrobat beginning to undress.

  
“Take a dip into the water. It’s been especially _hot_ today,” she intently looked at Azula through half-lidded eyes and began to strip off the several layers of her uniform.

  
The heat of that day wasn’t as straining and as sweltering and the warrior really hoped that Azula would notice her innuendo. She, too, wanted to revive their game from the morning. Ty Lee knew she was a flirt in general, but this was on a whole other level and it couldn’t leave the Princess unaffected. The unreasonable hope had begun to blossom within her that maybe… maybe there was a chance.

  
A fallen tree was selected by the Princess to watch the spectacle the acrobat was about to offer her.

  
“I will _not_ go in there,” she claimed the fallen tree as if it would be her throne. In Ty Lee’s opinion, everywhere Azula sat on seemed immediately more majestic. Even the moss-covered and dead wood had gotten flair by her presence.

  
“But I bet you’re _dying_ to put on a show for me,” Azula stared expectantly at her with a quirked brow, crossed legs and a self-assured smirk.

  
Thanks to the heavy paint on Ty Lee’s face, the forming blush on her cheeks couldn’t shine through. She mentally prepared for what she herself had caused.

  
With a soft and shy “Okay,” the acrobat continued to slowly slide off the remaining layers until the last green fabric laid on the ground, together with her armor and weapons. With strong determination she bit back the urge to hunch her shoulders and cover herself.  
  


No matter how comfortable and content she was with her trained and agile body, Azula’s intense stare always made her feel so _exposed_. It made her feel naked even albeit she wore not-so-sexy-but-very-practical underwear and a casual black bra.

  
She went several steps away from the cool water and Azula was able to see every bounce, every sway and it was truly delightful.

  
Ty Lee was almost in front of the anticipating Princess and halted with her back to the object she was about to take a dive in. With one last smirk – on the acrobat’s side – she made a backflip and seamlessly transitioned into several cartwheels towards the natural pool. Right before the pool, she jumped up high one last time and twisted several times before a big splash erupted and swallowed her whole.

  
Azula was actually impressed.  
  


She had often times seen her twist and turn into unhealthy angles, but this felt – yet again – _different_.

  
Her moves were fluent and effortless as she spun around, ridiculing gravity as if it was some kind of foreign concept for her that maintained no roots in reality. The cat-otters had scattered annoyed to the sides by the interruption of their peaceful, little place.  
  


With a light gasp for air, Ty Lee broke through the surface and threw her head back to wipe all the wet hair out of her face. After she washed off of all the remaining warrior-paint, she swam to the edge and laid both her hands on the end, staring right at the Princess.

  
“You liked?” Her smile was coy and the sun filtering through the trees reflected a flirtatious glint in her big, wet eyes.

  
Azula rose from her place and took confident steps towards the lingering girl, “It was worth my time,”

  
Their gazes locked, although Ty Lee’s tilted head revealed her long, slender neck. A water droplet strolling down her jaw and along her pulse point caught Azula’s attention at last and made her feel strange sensations and made her think even stranger things. 

  
After a stretched silenced, the tension between the two of them grew more and more. Eventually, Ty Lee lifted herself out of the water.

  
“Well, that was really refreshing but now I’m cold,” she grinned and hugged herself as she walked towards the Princess. When she reached her, she boldly but softly demanded, “Warm me, please,”

  
The fact that Ty Lee dared to demand something completely slipped past Azula. She was too allured by the way her skin glowed in the sunlight. It looked soft and smooth – very inviting.

  
Azula cocked a brow at her but wordlessly complied – again. If Ty Lee wouldn’t be so deeply engrossed in whatever was between them, she would’ve been completely shocked by Azula’s todays behavior. There were no snide remarks, no real glares, a compliment and she even let Ty Lee tell her what to do.

  
Being the good friend Azula was, she lifted her hand and created a flame to warm her up. But instead of being grateful Ty Lee fell into a fit of laughter. The Princess immediately extinguished the flame and slightly scowled at the acrobat’s reaction.

  
“I didn’t mean it in that way, Azula,” she tried to even her breathing and stop the laughing when she saw her unhappy face.

  
The Princess watched with a straight face as the smaller girl pulled off the gloves and placed them at her waist. Azula understood what she’d meant then.

  
“Absolutely not. You’re dripping wet,” the Princess complained. Nonetheless, her hands remained still at Ty Lee’s exposed midriff.

  
“I don’t think you’ll mind,” she replied with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

  
“Whenever did I allow you to talk to me like that?” Azula’s hand gripped at her sides and the acrobat was simply too far gone.

  
“If you don’t like it,” Ty Lee began with a low voice, “you can make me shut up,”

  
Daringly she put her wet arms around Azula’s neck. The water immediately rubbed off unto the Princess’ neck and began to soak the parts of the uniform her arms touched.

  
Ty Lee’s intentions were as clear as the water in the pool, making it impossible for Azula to misunderstand her.

  
Azula should’ve been enraged, bewildered and should've punished her but instead she was just taken aback by her boldness, the way she presented herself. She felt the smooth texture of her wet skin beneath her fingers and saw her slightly opened mouth.

  
_Seduction._  
  


It was a threat that could bring down entire kingdoms and yet Azula herself never had been worrying about it before since she as a woman herself should’ve been immune to any advances by women themselves.

  
And yet there she was barely able to contain the tingling nerves all over her body and the pressing desire to devour those lips that were as soft as the finest pillows.

  
Ever since that morning, things had started to feel different and odd. Azula couldn’t place her finger around it and accompanied her throughout the day.

  
Ty Lee was different. The training with the warriors felt different. Seeing Ty Lee was different.

  
Azula initially thought that there had been an extern shift, but now as she stared into these lovely eyes of a girl she swore to destroy, she realized: It wasn’t them, it was _her_.

  
_She_ had become different. She had begun to feel different – especially for Ty Lee.

  
The gears in her head started to spin out of control, desperately trying to understand what it all meant.

  
But it was of no use.

  
Azula’s lips collided with Ty Lee’s plump, wet ones and everything went still.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note: I applied the archive warning 'underage' since both Azula and Ty Lee are 15 in this story.  
> This chapter is heavily mature to a point where I even thought about changing the rating to 'Explicit'.
> 
> If you feel like I should change it after all, please let me know!
> 
> And now, enjoy :)

Unfortunately, the stillness in her head ended the moment their lips had parted. The kiss – the kiss Azula had initiated – had given her a breath of life to a complete new set of never before known emotions.  


Ty Lee, however, had broken the spell too soon and left the Princess momentarily perplexed with the whirlwind inside her mind that came back crashing unto her immediately. The brief, content silence in her head had dissipated like the water droplets on Ty Lee’s sun kissed skin.  


Azula had stood completely still when the acrobat retracted herself from her with a shy giggle and scrambled all of her clothes and weapons together. She’d run home with nothing on but her drenched underwear.  


It was a secluded part of the island but from time to time people wandered around there. Without paint on, however, one weren’t allowed to wear the Kyoshi uniform and Ty Lee hadn’t wanted to start disgracing it.  


A heaviness and diffuse heat had settled in Azula’s stomach. Spreading throughout her body and throbbing relentlessly, it continued to rise at seeing Ty Lee with nothing on but a towel when she’d entered the house.  


“I’m gonna take a bath first, if that’s okay,” Ty Lee said nonchalantly as she lingered at the doorframe and shot ambiguous glances towards the Princess.  


“Go ahead,” Azula said with encompassing poise and patience as she sat down at the table and looked straight at the girl.  


“You could join me,” A coy smile played on Ty Lee’s frisky lips, but it faltered after she’d seen Azula’s bewildered expression for a split second.  


“Uh, you know, ‘cause we often used to when we were younger,” the acrobat mistook her expression as something negative whereas it stemmed from something much deeper. The flashing images of bathing together – which was just an innocent suggestion of a not-so-innocent girl – blinded her and fueled Azula’s growing desire to be close.  


“Well, we aren’t young anymore, are we?” Whenever Azula recovered from slightly differing her stone-like expression, it returned a tenfold colder.  


“I will wait ‘til it’s my turn,” But within the iciness of her words there was a dangerous undertone, something Ty Lee couldn’t help but think of _predatorily_. Strangely enough, it made her excitement spike and made her leave for the tub without another word.  


At the sound of the closing door to the bath, Azula snapped out of it and tore her gaze away from the place her scantily dressed _friend_ had stood just moments ago. Instead, she looked out of the window to the vast ocean as she used to ever so often.  


Her thoughts had often been like the waves, steadily rolling by. Coming and going, but ever present.  


Not this time though.  


She neither saw the waves nor were her thoughts constructively flowing back and forth. Her gaze was distant and empty and all of her mind spun solely for the existence of a petite femme.  


Despite the faint sounds of the ocean, the house was quiet. The silence involuntarily enabled the Princess to hear every step Ty Lee took, every movement, every rustling of fabric.  


She could hear the towel slowly sliding off, uncovering all of her and beyond. She could hear how the water slightly spilled over the tub as the acrobat stepped into it and let the water envelope her.  


The poise and patience she exercised was nothing but a farce, trying to give her at least some kind of comfort in the shallow control she had lost completely that day.  


Recklessly and relentlessly Ty Lee had taken the essence of her very existence – the glue that kept her together.  


Control.  


But hearing the soft sounds of Ty Lee’s hands drawing over her own skin there was none anymore.  


There was no inner outrage though – only the yearning to be the one whose hands drew over her and scarred her forever.  


Azula’s pondering of power and control was interrupted when she heard Ty Lee stirring in the tub and then a faint sigh. It should’ve been harmless but to Azula’s distorted ears it sounded somewhat _sultry_.  


She stood up immediately, not able to endure sitting still any longer. She needed movement, _friction_.  


To distract herself from the fire that desperately needed to be set free, she unclasped the armor encasing her and continued to drape off the various layers of the muddy uniform. She brought the clothes into their bedroom and put on her red robe, concealing her body.  


Finally, Ty Lee came out of the bath and into the bedroom. Judging from her surprised expression, she clearly hadn’t anticipated Azula being there.  


Especially not in her ever-teasing robe, with the right hue of red.  


Ty Lee couldn’t help but think that the color stood for deep and consuming passion. In her opinion, the passion of a firebender was the best kind and at this point the acrobat was desperate to see where it would take both of them.  


She wasn’t delusional though; she knew exactly that the way Azula directed her energy towards her was a way to cope for the loss of opportunities and outlets. Although the awareness of that fact didn’t hinder Ty Lee from continuing.  


Despite her seldom thoughts of Azula having genuine feelings for her, she discarded any of them to be ever true and to be truly _because_ of her. The acrobat was like a mirror, the only one Azula didn’t and wouldn’t shatter into a million pieces.  


She’d shown Azula what she could be, shown her that there was so much more to her than her dark side. The smart and cunning Princess hadn’t realized it yet whereas Ty Lee already did and she wondered time and time again if she would ever be more that just a mere reflection  
.

“Do you feel suffocated, Ty Lee?” She asked after the acrobat stood awkwardly at the door for a moment, not knowing how to proceed.  


“Suffocated?” Ty Lee asked as she combed through her wet hair. “No, I don’t think so. Why, Azula?” The Princess’ simple question had torn her out of her thoughts, enrapturing Ty Lee again with her appearance and demeanor.  


“You certainly don’t feel the need to properly get dressed today,” Azula pointed to the girl clad in underwear only. Azula stemmed her hands into her hip and mustered the girl before her.  


Ty Lee’s braid was undone, her open hair heavy on her shoulders from the water. It was draped over one shoulder, exposing her long and delicate neck. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. That sight surely didn’t help Azula’s current state.  


“You don’t mind, right?” Ty Lee’s flirtatious nature resurfaced in an instant.  


“Besides, I just forgot my spare clothes here,” Her grin was big and devoid of any body related insecurity – she just knew that somewhere deeply hidden in the maze of her mind, Azula _did_ appreciate her appearance.  


“No, why would I?” The Princess scoffed and was on the verge of averting her gaze. She might have forfeited any control over the feelings twisting and turning within her, but the other girl wasn’t allowed to ever know how much she affected the Princess with the mere display of her gorgeous body.  


Ty Lee came tantalizingly slow closer to Azula with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, “Yeah, why would you?” The smaller girl stood in close proximity to Azula, wringing her hands in front of her stomach. It was a habit she acquired after being countless times under the Princess’ piercing gaze. The manner with which Ty Lee carried it out made her chest protrude and deepened her cleavage.  


Azula had noticed immediately that Ty Lee was teasing her in the worst way possible and she had to give way too much strength into not letting her eyes wander south.  


“Enough of that,” Azula straightened her back and brushed past the girl into the bath.  


Coming into the room, she was met with a sweet smell and high air humidity. She noticed that there was still Ty Lee’s used water in the tub.  


There were only two reasonable options left for the Princess: either she would replace it with new water – and consequently would have to wait and be patient – or she would just use it.  


Azula struggled for a moment. The decision for the former should’ve fallen immediately, but it didn’t.  


After she stripped out of her robe and her underwear, she first dipped her toe into the water and then went completely in. The water practically burst of the fragrances and shampoos Ty Lee had used and made the pressing throb in her stomach feel _sweet_.  


The water was only lukewarm albeit refreshing and the Princess let herself slide further into the tub until everything was covered but her face. Despite her tensed and exhausted muscles relaxing under the subtle warmth of the water, the heat within her kept her alerted. She let her head fall back until it rested on the rim of the tub, she closed her eyes – forcing herself to somehow calm down with breathing techniques.  


Her thoughts, however, continued to run wild and stray further and further. Normally, these techniques induced immediate relief. It was essential for any firebender to be able to rigorously control their breathing as it was the one of the foundations of their bending after all. But all of these images and feelings and sensations didn’t leave her alone. And since there was nothing that was stronger than the Princess herself, she concluded that she was simply _too weak_ right now.  


Being in the tub felt paradoxically _dirty_ in more ways than just one and made her infinitely weaker and too ready to give in.  


Azula felt the water wrapped around her naked body and couldn’t help but imagine the way the water that touched her in that moment, touched Ty Lee’s bare body as well. Pictures how it had flowed over Ty Lee’s breasts between her legs made the Princess shiver and feel infinitely hot and lightheaded.  


She remembered their kiss, the way their lips had moved against each other. She remembered water droplets running along her jaw, down her neck. She remembered her drenched underwear, remembered to have seen outlines of what was beneath the fabric.  


Azula shook her head, trying to shake off all these images that seemed too vivid, too palpable. Her overheated mind needed distraction and the task of soaping her whole body didn’t help but only worsened her state.  


She came to the conclusion that the touch of her own hands and fingers tracing along her own body felt oddly good and partly relieved some of the piled-up tension.  


The moment she’d realized she herself could quiet her mind for a moment – could partly stimulate her hungry wires of nerves running throughout her body – she was completely gone in the ocean of self-indulgence.

~~~

The summit of the Four Nations took place in a quite remote location, far from Ba Sing Se.  


For several days the small town Makapu, home of the fortuneteller Wu, turned into a secret high-security zone. Several reasons urged the organizers of the summit to choose this specific place: Firstly, it was a rather semi-secret conference due to the global tensions about the upcoming trial and secondly uprisings and big gatherings needed to be averted at all costs.  


Locals could watch high ranked generals as well as important representatives flock into town with stern expressions on their faces. With the arrival of the Earth King, the chief of the northern and southern water tribe, the Fire Lord and the Avatar, however, all townspeople were to stay inside from then on throughout the whole conference.  


Soldiers were patrolling along every street and every junction, giving the people living there no chance to execute any attempt at disobedience. Needless to say, the complaints of not being able to step outside the house anymore was met with deaf ears.  


Zuko had arrived in the early evening with few imperial guards ensuring his safety. They had waited for him back at the gates of Ba Sing Se and traveled with him by air to this village.

  
The wrinkles born of constant tension eased slightly when he spotted Appa munching on a big bag of grass. Seeing soon the faces of the Gaang sure made him feel better and more hopeful for a moment before reality caught up with him again. Not only reality but also the words his uncle had told him hung heavy on his heart. Would he be able to do it?  


“Zuko!” Katara was the first who noticed him entering the dining hall especially reserved for the guests of honor. With an almost shy grin he greeted them all and took place next to Sokka.  


He’d come right in time to witness the funny way Aang and Sokka both put two sticks into the corners of their mouths and pretended to be a tiger-walrus.  


It’s been over 8 months since the Great War had ended and it had been 8 months since he rightfully assumed the throne and accepted simultaneously the consequences of doing so.  


For the first couple of months he had been sure that his relationship with the Gaang wouldn’t ever change and wouldn’t be affected by the global tensions – especially by those in regards of his nation.  


But time had passed and it hadn’t been his imagination only when he’d seen Katara smile at him and felt the sadness radiating off of it. It hadn’t been his imagination only when he thought that Toph’s teasing had turned somehow dry and almost felt obligated – stiff. Some place of Zuko’s heart had been aware that she’d done it to uphold the façade of an unaffected friendship – but he’d known better. He knew better.  


The Gaang and him talked lightly about nothing at all really. It was done purposefully to distract from the fact that the following days would put an even bigger strain on their friendship. To discuss the details of the trial of his father was one thing but having to hear his friends telling him to allow foreign armies on his own soil was a whole other thing.  


He had known from earlier consultations and conferences that despite the bond they had shared in the war, the interests of their own nations couldn’t and wouldn’t be disregarded.  


In some ways war was easier than peace.  


In war there were just two sides; the good guys and the bad guys. And even though the good guys were all different and came from different places, the shared enemy united them.  


In peace, however, there were no clear cuts.  


There weren’t just two sides.  


There were so many shades of “good” and few shades of “bad”. Unfortunately, all shades of “bad” had become a red hue to it – making him what he once had fought. It was not right, unfair even, but the fact that his friends hadn’t had his back in world politics had cut him deep and left a scar invisible to the blind eye.  


The Gaang didn’t – couldn’t even – operate together politically anymore.  


Each one of them felt too strongly for their nation and each one of them wanted to be worthy. Zuko understood that and he could have shown sympathy for them if it wasn’t for the fact that they were breaking apart - unable to get a hold of each other.  


The sticks that had been prior in Aang’s and Sokka’s mouth now wandered into their nose and they couldn’t contain their laughter. Katara scolded them for behaving like that at dinner and Zuko watched the scene with a small smile on his lips.  


Yes, Zuko could’ve shown sympathy for them if it wasn’t so damn sad.

~~~

Azula panted and steam steadily rose from the water.  


The heat within her stomach had spread to her center and throughout her whole body, heating the water around her simultaneously. The temperature had risen from lukewarm to _very hot_.  


The friction her hands caused felt good – very good. The moment her fingers had somehow developed an own sense of will and slowly slid down to her center, she felt incredibly relieved.  


Without really knowing what to do, they drew circles over her sensitive skin and elicited positive bodily reactions.  


Instead of feeling weak, she felt empowered by the sudden knowledge that all the tension, all the diffuse heat in her stomach and all of her tingling nerves could be tamed by something as simple as repetitious movements down _there_.  


Never before in her life had she indulged in something so obscene but in this moment she couldn’t have cared less. It was yet again Ty Lee that drove her to this.  


The motions of her fingers sped up at the thought of the flirting and teasing girl.  


The past days and the past events replayed in her head and fueled her desire for satisfaction. Especially their intense contact before Suki had interrupted them stuck in her head.  


Her imagination was vivid and it was almost as if she could feel Ty Lee’s puckered, wet lips on hers, moving in sync. She recalled the way Ty Lee’s tongue carefully but slowly entered her and enabled the Princess to get a close taste of something _divine_ and holy.  


She felt heavy with want and the pressure beneath her stomach had accumulated rather quickly and was eager to be released.  


Her panting grew stronger and she squeezed her eyes shut.  


One hand clutched at her breast and the other worked its way through her pleasure.  


The fantasy, that it weren’t her fingers doing the magic but Ty Lee’s, pushed her over the edge at last and utterly shook her.  


She bit on her hand to not let out any revealing sounds. Azula herself was surprised of the need to scream, but she would never do that.  


Instead her orgasm rolled over her quietly and left her momentarily in daze.  


After she’d come down from it, she realized something that destroyed any ounce of the newfound power she’d felt earlier:

It wasn’t enough.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll either love or hate me for that chapter.  
> Anyways, I'm really excited because the story is finally getting to the part I've been thinking about for months.
> 
> I'll update more often from now on

Political events of great importance always made Zuko nervous. Being the first born of a Royal Family meant having been brought into the wild, scattered fields of politics way too early.

  
  
It hadn’t been long until he developed a love-hate-relationship to everything that revolved around the cosmos of war meetings, conferences and unofficial gatherings.

  
  
There had been a distinct time where he felt entitled and burned with passion for Ozai’s lies, disregarding whatever sense of humanity his mother had instilled into him. The prospect of spreading wealth and growth to the world had been exciting and he’d truly believed the actions of the Fire Nation were righteous. With each passing year, however, the grey shades of being the Fire Lord’s son and having to bother with sometimes very old and boring politicians and topics turned into a more darker and serious shade, until it turned black at last, leaving Zuko unable to turn a blind eye to what was happening in the world by the hands of his father anymore.

  
  
The fine art of listening but not fading into the background and demonstrating the legacy of royal blood by speaking accordingly but never too much and always in line with Ozai’s opinion had left him the day he stepped up for the soldiers that were to be used as cannon fodder.

  
  
What happened when someone disrespected Ozai by saying words out loud which even had a rightful legitimation was known to Zuko painfully clear. He wore the symbol of the alleged disrespect each and every day.

  
  
The way he regarded his scar had changed several times over the years. Sometimes it had made him relive the agonizing pain, bringing back the memory of the biting stench of burned flesh.

  
  
Sometimes he’d felt ashamed and worthless.

  
  
Other times, especially at the last stage of the Great War, it’d given him power – the will to bring down the tyrant who had been able to scar his very own child forever without even as much as flinching with an eye.

  
  
Zuko’s fingers timidly touched the deep red mark around his eyes, a reflex whenever he really thought about it. Although he didn’t realize that his nervousness caused this habit.

  
  
The most important political figures of the world were assembled in an insignificant town, in a much too small house, whose creaking wooden floor testified the unusual and poor accommodation for something as important as the Summit of the Four Nations. Lively chatter was heard behind the thin door Zuko stood in front of. It had been several minutes since he arrived here and he couldn’t bring his feet to walk further through the door.

  
  
The Earth Kingdom soldiers guarding the door subtly glanced sideways at the Fire Lord. He knew he was late and he knew that it wouldn’t be him who would ultimately decide the fate of his nation.   
He began to feel physically sick by the mere thought of what was to come.

  
  
Uncle Iroh had always given him a shelter to live and work through his emotions, offering the opportunity to move on and become his own stronger self.

  
  
He’d gone to Ba Sing Se in order to find answers to questions that he heard more times than he could count. He’d _known_ that uncle wouldn’t serve him the right strategy with all the answers on a silver plate with delicious tea, but the story Iroh had told him made his nightmares come true.

  
  
_“There once was a young man, a high ranked general, who had a son. He was the most important achievement in his young life.  
Before his son was born, his country was the child he wanted and had the duty to care for.   
He’d raised his son with the ideals he, the young general, embodied and passed on his deep-rooted love for his country. He passed on the pride, the willpower, the strength of a firebender.   
To love and fight for your country meant to make sacrifices. And on one fateful day, the teachings of his father cost the son his life. The sacrifice on the battlefield of his one and only son showed what it meant to live for your nation only.  
But the loss was too great, too painful. The general couldn’t continue. He didn’t fulfill his military duty anymore and he didn’t fulfill the duty of becoming the sole ruler of his country after his father passed away.   
He was too scarred and he’d realized that some sacrifices were too great to make and if he could turn back the time, he would do things differently.  
Fire Lord Zuko, the Fire Nation is your child. It’s on the battlefield and it’s wounded. Do you think that pride is worth enough to make such a big sacrifice?”_

_  
  
_ “Fire Lord Zuko, you have finally arrived,” Zuko was torn out of the story Iroh had told him and was greeted by these words by one of the generals of the Earth Kingdom army. Zuko knew that Uncle Iroh had told him his very own personal story and the memory of the loss of Lu Ten made his heart ache.

  
  
“Yes, we shall begin then,” his calm exterior and his head help up high masked the accumulated chi in his palm. He desperately wanted to destroy something to let his anger, sadness and frustration loose. It continued to bubble and growl with each smug smile that came from the Earth Kingdom commanders.

The Avatar stood up and greeted everyone in the friendly and respectful manner everyone was used to. They sat at a big round table, harboring the most important figures of each nation. The sun didn’t shine, it was cloudy and rather cold. In Zuko’s opinion, the weather represented perfectly what he felt.

  
  
“Today we will discuss the progress of the rebuilding phase and most importantly we will discuss the trial of Ozai,” Aang’s soft face had turned slowly into a more mature one and his smile from his greeting vanished into a thin, serious line.

  
  
An Earth Kingdom General shot a glance over to the Avatar and reminded him of another very important point.

  
  
“We will also discuss the plans of the Earth Kingdom to deploy troops to the Fire Nation in order to help them find their missing convict and aid them in preserving their national security,”   
Zuko’s brow twitched at that but remained silent and expressionless.

  
  
After Aang introduced the topics which would be discussed, each nation reported on the progress and about the payments that have been done and those which were still pending.

  
  
The economy of the Fire Nation, which was struggling not to die under the weight of the sudden shift after the war, wasn’t justification enough for them. No matter how reasonable the arguments of Zuko were, in the end a deadline had been set to pay the second set of repairments. All the while Katara had shot him sad glances – she had been one of the only ones who asked for a postponement of the pending payments.

  
  
The result was short and cold, but it still took them over an hour to come to that term.

  
  
Before they would talk further about the trial of his father, tea was served by servants. It was meant to give the leaders energy and a clear mind to make the right decisions but right now nothing was clear for Zuko.

~~~

Azula sat at the desk with all of her scrolls spread out expertly and in order. After she’d come out of the bath Ty Lee was nowhere to be found. It was unusual for her to go without saying a word, but then again what could one expect from such a bouncy ball?

  
  
It’s not like she would care or anything like that.

  
  
With great disdain Azula had noticed that the feelings she felt didn’t wash off and rolled over her like the self-induced orgasm did.

  
  
Time and time again _it wasn’t enough_ penetrated her thoughts and hindered her from making any progress with her plan. She was simply stuck and the neatly brushed strokes soon began to dance on the paper due to her being unable to concentrate properly.

  
  
After what happened in the tub, it was as if the Princess could see clearly for the first time through the haze Ty Lee had caused.

  
  
It was dangerous. Too dangerous – being around this girl.

  
  
A noise could be heard and let Azula know that Ty Lee had returned. Without further ado she decided to knock on the door and come in without waiting for Azula to answer.

  
  
“Hey, I’m back. Oh! You’re working?” her head lurked through the door.   
  
  
  
The Princess mustered her for a moment, biting back the question as to where she had been. There were tiny pearls of sweat glistening on her uncovered parts as if she just had been training.

  
  
“Yes,” Azula replied shortly and redirected her attention to the scrolls. Ty Lee was slightly surprised by her sudden change of demeanor. She wasn’t mean or vicious, she didn’t insult her or talked to her with venom on her tongue, but she somehow seemed off.

  
  
After Azula had kissed her, Ty Lee was briefly brought back to the place of one of her dreams. She was on fluffy clouds surrounded by islands floating in the air. The kiss was real unlike her dream, even though Azula’s feelings unfortunately had just everything in common with it.

  
  
“Do you maybe wanna take a break and drink tea with me?” Ty Lee asked innocently, eager to spend some more time with the Princess.

  
  
Azula cringed inwardly at that question for she sounded just like her uncle. Other than that, the Princess actually _wanted_ to and that was just outright strange and emphasized the problem she got stuck in.

  
  
Despite herself, she answered the hopeful acrobat with a cold “no”. Azula might not be able to see auras, the nonsense Ty Lee often talked about, but she could clearly see how she’d let her down. A year ago she wouldn’t have had noticed such small things and neither would she have cared.

  
  
Azula was now completely aware of the shift that had happened within her and she felt herself drifting off of her right path.

  
  
She couldn’t continue like this.

  
  
Normally, Ty Lee would’ve just bounced back from Azula’s rejection, but after that kiss of which she’d known didn’t mean anything, she thought that something had changed between them. She’d never felt that close to the Prodigy before, though Azula didn’t grant her the privilege to further savor these moments.

Within a day their heavily worked-for dynamics have been turned upside down by the calculating hand of the Princess.

  
  
She had ignored the acrobat the whole evening and hadn’t participated in their morning routine, even going as far as looking into a mirror to paint her own face.

  
  
At first, it had been a struggle, because all that Azula could see was someone weak and she despised the reflection looking back at her with so much hatred. Strangely enough, within that hatred she found the strength to pull through and endure the whole process of facing herself.

  
  
Ty Lee had picked up upon the shift and couldn’t help but feel depressed about it.

  
  
For once there was no strength to be found in her body for that anymore.

  
  
Ever since Azula had arrived on Kyoshi and became a part of her life again, it drained her emotional reserves. It was a roller-coaster which eventually led both of them to make out, tease each other and have actually a good time. But just like that Azula stopped being more open and friendly towards her.

  
  
With both their revelations hanging low on them, they continued their day in silence. Suki had announced the warriors accompanying her on their task to protect the Fire Lord in time of Ozai’s trial.

  
  
Needless to say, Azula and Ty Lee were to stay on the island.

  
  
Not long after they had arrived at their house again, someone knocked at the door.

  
  
Ty Lee casted Azula an uncertain glance who was sitting at the round table, going through her scrolls again. The Princess didn’t even lift her head but was initially prepared to leave for the bedroom incase Suki was the one knocking.

  
  
“Oh, hey Nami,” Ty Lee said surprised and with all of her usual enthusiasm missing, “what’s up?”

  
  
“Hey, um I just wanted to have a quick chat with Katsumi, is she here?” Nami asked, looking in a hurry.

  
  
The bad mood Suki had asked Ty Lee about while exercising turned into a full blown foul mood. She was somehow beyond pissed off at Nami for showing up and wanting to talk to Azula.   
And if Ty Lee weren’t so caught up with the Princess, she would’ve been stunned by the amount of jealousy she felt over something so petty.

  
  
She’d never been that jealous.

  
  
The acrobat turned to look at Azula who was now very much interested in the unexpected guest.

  
  
Azula smirked when she saw the uncertainty in Ty Lee’s eyes. The Princess wasn’t in her uniform anymore and without any paint on. Nami had never seen her before like that, but if Ember Island had shown Azula one thing, then it was the fact that most commoners, even higher ranked nobles outside of Caldera, had no idea how their Princess truly looked like in real life.

  
  
Gracefully and composed Azula appeared next to Ty Lee and greeted Nami with her natural, regal tone.

  
  
“Come in,” Azula said while scanning her surroundings.

  
  
“Ty Lee, leave,” she wanted to be alone with Nami since something very important must’ve brought her to the Princess.

  
  
Nami was taken aback by the command directed at her comrade. She’d already known that Katsumi was anything than the girl she all told them to be. But it seemed like she ruled over just everybody in her near proximity and that intimidated her further.

  
  
For a moment, Ty Lee silently resisted her order with her brows unusually knitted and her mouth distorted into a dissatisfied pout. But it took just one intent look from these smoldering, golden eyes and a quirked eyebrow to make her comply without causing a scene.

  
  
“Report,” Azula issued while she closed the door and authoritatively took a seat at the table.

  
  
Nami’s before uncertain facial expression turned into one of stress while she told her the news.

  
  
“The Summit of the Four Nations is taking place in a small town in the Earth Kingdom and one of our allies guarded the door and could eavesdrop,” Azula’s eyes narrowed in anticipation. She certainly didn’t know that Nami’s network reached as far as it did.

  
  
“They’ve been discussing the amount of the repairments and eventually forced the Fire Nation to pay the big next set soon,” Nami talked in fast, hushed tones. Azula’s scowl deepened. As far as she knew the Fire Nation was pretty much broke by now with no chances for their economy to grow in the next time.

  
  
That hurt.

  
  
“But more important,” Nami’s eyes were wide open, “they changed the date of Ozai’s trial,”

  
  
Azula took a sharp intake of air.

  
  
“What?” she exclaimed harshly at that.

  
  
“Yes, it’s true. It’s in two weeks now due to the missing of Princess Azula. Apparently, they don’t really believe that she’s dead, so they want to get over it as fast as possible,” Nami irrationally looked around to see if no one was around. These were highly classified information.

  
  
“Where?” it was all Azula could ask for the moment.

  
  
“It was supposed to happen in the far east of the Earth Kingdom, but they now want it to take place directly in the Fire Nation - in Caldera!”

  
  
Azula processed all the information with high speed and got to one conclusion:

  
  
“They want to humiliate us. They want to present our failure right in the heart of our nation,” Azula said more to herself than to Nami.

  
  
“Yes, I believe so. There is one more thing,” she started and interrupted Azula’s train of thought. “It was also heard that the Earth Kingdom plans to deploy a part of their army to the Fire Nation to help searching the missing Princess and to guard the trial. My informant said that this topic will be discussed today, but that they are most likely to accept their claim,”

  
  
The Princess could feel the blood pumping in her ears. That was a complete gamechanger.

  
  
She had to think fast.

  
  
Quietness enveloped the room for several minutes with Nami anxiously waiting for her response.

  
  
“Listen carefully,” Azula eventually spoke up and told Nami everything she had to do quickly, since the time was running out for the Princess.

  
  
She didn’t foresee that turn of events but it was either now or never.

~~~

The summit lasted for exactly two days.

  
  
Two long days of endless hours of discussing, debating and waging internal wars on those arrogant generals of the Earth Kingdom.

  
The entire town transformed into a packed one, with countless soldiers guarding the departing politicians and all the wooden cabins of the inhabitants. The eyes of the commoners were glued on the street, watching with awe and annoyance such important figures in close proximity. The sun was about to set and everyone was in a hurry to set off on their journey back home.

  
  
Zuko hadn’t taken many belongings with him and thus needn’t much time to get ready. Before he could go away with his four imperial guards in tow, Aang approached him just in time.

  
  
“Hey Zuko, do you have a minute?” He asked.

  
  
“Yes, what is it?” with a sigh and a quick gesture of Zuko’s hand he dismissed his guards. His features were tired, his voice devoid of strength and authority. The past days had drained him and he knew that what was to come would be even worse.

  
  
“I just wanted to say goodbye and tell you that I know it’s hard on you, but to restore balance we all have to go through hardships,” He began to say in a gentle voice, while he put his glider staff into the hard ground.

  
  
“Oh really? Who’s going through hardships right now? The Earth Kingdom, the Water tribes maybe? My nation is on the ground and you are all deliberately stepping on it without giving us a chance to develop in peace!” Aang became the target of his pent up anger and frustration. None of the Gaang really had been actively fighting any of the decided measurements in regards of the Fire Nation.

  
  
Aang looked hurt by the words hurled into his direction, but he knew that he wasn’t really the reason Zuko was so angry.

  
  
The Avatar remained silent in the manner of a composed monk after his outburst, giving Zuko a moment to collect himself.

  
  
The Fire Lord intently looked at his friend and began to vehemently shake his head in disbelieve.

  
  
“You should know better than that, Aang. This is not how harmony and cooperation looks like and this will have consequences,” his voice gained an ounce of his royal legacy back, making it almost sound like a warning.

  
  
Neither Aang nor Zuko were aware of the truth his words harbored. They would soon enough find out what they involuntarily meant.

  
  
The tension was heavy and without another word, Zuko signaled his guards to start their journey now.

  
  
“See you, _Avatar_ ,” and with that he left Aang alone to ponder what Zuko had just said to him.

  
  
He was concerned – even more than that.   


~~~

  
  


The door closed, Nami vanished into the dark and Azula was alone again. She didn’t want to waste any more time and was about to grab all of her scrolls. But before that, she looked out of the window and watched with anticipation lightening crawling closer to Kyoshi.

  
  
Her thoughts, however, were interrupted when Ty Lee almost on command stormed into the room.

  
  
“What did she want?” The Princess had noticed the change in the acrobat’s behavior, but that sudden display of dissatisfaction and anger was a rare sight. She didn’t even try to mask it anymore and bottle it up with her make-pretend happiness and cluelessness.

  
  
The movements of rolling the papers up halted, “Nothing in particular,”

  
  
“So you always speak with her in hushed tones?” Ty Lee stemmed her hands into her hip, standing her ground. The jealously she felt was enormous and the filter in her brain long gone. She was just too disappointed to really care about the consequences of speaking and acting up like that in front of the Princess.

  
  
“Ty Lee,” Azula warned and shot her agitated a threatening glare. The Princess had assumed that this was enough to silence her companion.

  
  
“No!” apparently it wasn’t enough. The words came out in a shriek.

  
  
“I don’t understand why you suddenly are like this! I felt like you were finally opening up to me and that we were getting closer, but apparently Nami is your first choice, right?” The acrobat couldn’t stand still and went over to the counter to lean her body against it. Her knuckles protruded from the force with which she grabbed counter.

  
  
She had to hold back a lot when it came to Azula, but to get a hold of the Prodigy she’d never experienced before just for it to be taken away immediately was simply too much.

  
  
“Don’t tell me I have to put up with this and waste my time because you are _jealous_ ,” Azula countered her with cold and depreciating words.

  
  
With haste she stuffed the scrolls into a backpack and added, “And what exactly gives you the right to be jealous?”

  
  
“I-I am not jealous,” she exclaimed and gestured wildly with her arms to support her claim. “I mean it would be only natural after we…, you know,” she added in a quieter and not so resolute anymore voice.

  
  
The Princess threw the backpack violently onto the ground. She was irritated but not so much from the acrobat acting up and stealing her precious time, but more so from the suddenly changed date of Ozai’s trial and that Azula _still_ had to think about the softness of Ty Lee’s skin and her lips.

  
  
A mirthless laughter erupted from the Prodigy as she felt charged up with energy, almost as if the looming thunderstorm was giving part of its power to the lightning-bending Princess.

  
  
“So what?” Azula asked harshly and took confident steps towards the fuming girl at the counter until she cornered her.

  
  
She came very close to Ty Lee and heard her taking in a sharp breath at the sudden proximity.

  
  
“It doesn’t mean anything at all,” she lied effortlessly as ever so often.

  
  
Ty Lee’s big eyes never left hers and Azula could clearly see the sadness and anger.

  
  
“If it doesn’t mean anything at all, then you should be able to do it now, don’t you?” Ty Lee’s scowl felt alien, something that never before had been directed at the Princess by the acrobat. She didn’t understand Ty Lee’s feelings at all.

  
  
With force the Princess pressed herself against the acrobat and held her tightly in place by her waist.

  
  
It was their same game over again.

  
  
Ty Lee dared and Azula proved herself.

  
  
But something was missing and the Princess couldn’t help but notice all the bittersweet sensations running through her spine. Her skin had developed a memory of Ty Lee’s body in this rather short time and whenever it touched her, the same feelings shot through her again and again, leaving the Princess unable to take any action against it.

  
  
That was exactly what was so dangerous.

  
  
The acrobat grabbed the collar of Azula’s fire nation garb and pulled her closer.

  
  
“Do it,” the almost whispered words were in stark contrast with the determined look on her face.

  
  
Azula wanted to dive in and devour her lips one last time right there, right then, but there was a moment of hesitation.

  
  
The Princess _never_ hesitated.

  
  
Ty Lee must’ve noticed too for her grip on her clothes loosened, in a swift motion, however, Azula captured her lips and kissed her fiercely at last.

  
  
Her chi spiked, thunder roared and Ty Lee melted into her touch.

  
  
Azula’s hand gripped hard at her waist and quickly drew over her skin to the small of her exposed back, holding her completely in her arms. She smelled the faint remnants of the shampoos and oils Ty Lee had used and it ultimately reminded her of the climax she’d reached because of it. And like each and every stance of firebending was engraved into her brain, she’d memorized the way her lips moved by heart.

  
  
The violence in her movements, the grabbing and pulling, was ever present to convey exactly what she had said just moments ago.

  
  
Or maybe it was to convey herself.

  
  
The next thunder broke loose and the Princess teared her body away from Ty Lee’s. There was no sense in prolonging their game and the time was ticking off ruthlessly.

  
  
“See?” she wiped her mouth and uncovered a big smirk, making Ty Lee’s blood boil and tear her into pieces.

  
  
“It didn’t mean anything at all.”

  
  
The acrobat’s eyes immediately teared up and she pushed Azula wordlessly out of her way. She felt suffocated, there were too many feelings and sensations swirling and crashing within her.

  
  
She needed air, she needed space, she needed a new heart.

  
  
Azula was left on her own devices to stare blankly after the girl that tainted her thoughts and distorted them to the mess they now were.

  
  
Closing her eyes, she paused for a moment before she would continue packing her stuff, getting ready and leave.

  
  
After she regained her breath and a grip on her rotating thoughts, she moved on from it like the emotionless machine she was supposed to be.

  
  
While hastily packing all that was necessary and changing into her Kyoshi uniform and painting her face, she couldn’t help but think that this wasn’t meant to be the way they would say goodbye. And no matter how hard she wanted to fight it, this was something she granted herself.

  
  
A proper ending if the things wouldn’t go according to her plan.

  
  
When she was done, she didn’t glance back and vanished into the night – just as Nami and Ty Lee did.

  
  
The night was dark, with no moon shining and guiding her the way. Only the occasional lightening revealed where she was going.

  
  
When she reached the main village she pulled over a dark robe, covering her uniform and her head completely.

  
  
She closed her eyes again and waited for the next thunder while concentrating her chi in her two fingers.

  
  
It had been such a long time.

  
  
The thunder broke loose and Azula went into a stance and a big wall of fire erupted from her and was directed at the very first cabins of the main village.

  
  
She felt the power flowing, the cycle of chi finally being able to complete itself.

  
  
Her fire burned a bright blue, matching the color of the lightening. When it crashed onto the cabins, the blue inferno turned red and smoke began to immediately rise from the erupting flames.

  
  
Azula quickly fled the scene and heard the fire beginning to rapidly grow. It would soon swallow the cabins whole.

  
  
Just before she was out of sight, she struggled with herself but in the end she shot three concentrated small fire balls against the alarming bell, knowing very well that Suki would instantly wake up from it.

  
  
After a long sprint, she’d reached the north side of the island with Nami waiting for her already.

  
  
They both stepped onto the boat which was reserved for the Kyoshi Warriors.

  
  
She knew what their destination was - she knew what her destiny was.

  
  
Screams and hasty commands could be heard from the distance and even though Azula thought she didn’t have to and wouldn’t look back, she did and wondered about Ty Lee while the rough sea would take her to something greater.   



End file.
